Exergy Efficiency and Energy Efficiency of Double Air Pass Solar Tunnel Air Dryer: A CFD Analysis

Dagim Kebede  Gari; Venkata Ramayya  Ancha; Lingala Syam  Sundar

doi:10.37934/cfdl.17.4.5065

Authors

Dagim Kebede Gari Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jimma Institute of Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
Venkata Ramayya Ancha Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jimma Institute of Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
Lingala Syam Sundar Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al-Khobar, 31952, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37934/cfdl.17.4.5065

Keywords:

Energy, Exergy, Solar tunnel dryer, Numerical study, Enhancement

Abstract

This work presents, the computational fluid dynamics simulation of a forced convection double air pass solar tunnel drying system to study the temperature distribution, the flow behaviour of the air stream, and the exergy performance. Realizable k-epsilon non-equilibrium wall function turbulence model, discrete ordinate radiation model, and species transport were used. The average temperature, thermal efficiency, and exergy efficiency were found to 59.2 ^oC, 30%, and 9.41%, respectively. The result revealed that the uniform temperature and velocity distribution throughout the heating and drying chamber. Therefore, the newly developed double air pass solar tunnel dryer enhances the air temperature and the exergy performance leads to the increment of drying rate and reduction of drying period.

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Author Biographies

Dagim Kebede Gari, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jimma Institute of Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

kdagim82@gmail.com

Lingala Syam Sundar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al-Khobar, 31952, Saudi Arabia

sslingala@rediffmail.com

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