Energy exergy and economic analysis of a multiple inlet solar air heater for augmented thermohydraulic performance

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Applied Thermal Engineering

Abstract

Solar air heaters typically feature a single inlet connected to the absorber section. This study explores a novel design for solar air heaters by introducing multiple inlets in the absorber section, creating a double-chamber system. The square test section incorporates inlets at each corner, facilitating increased air intake and inducing a swirling motion within the test section. Air exits through either a single central vent or multiple vents in the absorber plate, entering the upper chamber. The crossflow effect and localized disturbance generated by these vents enhance turbulence inside the test section. Numerical analysis carried out using ANSYS FLUENT by considering the variations in inlet duct width and vent diameters. Optimal thermo-hydraulic efficiencies of 80.32 % and 84.5 % are achieved for the Single central vent and Multiple vents configurations, respectively, with an inlet duct width ratio of 10.0 and 3.3. While the Multiple vent configuration demonstrates lower CO2 reduction potential than the Single central vent configuration, the energy payback period is approximately 4.5 months in energy calculations and around 4 years in exergy-based calculations. The average Enviro-economic parameter is determined to be $16/year, with the highest value observed in the Reynolds number range of 9000 to 12000.

DOI

10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.122981

Publication Date

6-1-2024

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