Improvement of the Performance of the Double Pass Solar Air Heater by using Various Shapes of Absorber Plate: An Experimental Analysis

Abstract

One of the main components in using renewable energy for heating purposes is solar air heaters. The aim of this work is to improve thermal output and maximise heat transfer efficiency by changing the absorber plate's form. The work intends to assess the different effects of different forms, such as flat, corrugated, and v corrugated plates, on thermal performance by comparing them. Temperature differences, heat transfer rates, and total system efficiency are all carefully measured under controlled settings. To thoroughly evaluate the absorber's efficacy throughout a range of operating conditions, its efficiency is computed at airflow velocities of 1.5 and 3 m/s. The data show that, whilst the efficiency of the flat shape varies from 43.5% at 1.5 m/s to 29 % at 3 m/s. The V corrugated shape performs better, reaching a maximum efficiency of 67.7 % at 1.5 m/s and 46.004 % at 3 m/s. These results highlight the vital need of form adjustment for optimizing solar air heater systems' thermal efficiency. The U- corrugated plate's maximum efficiency of 73.9 at 1.5 m/s while it reaches 69.2 % at 3 m/s. overall the max efficiency occurs during the using of U- corrugated plate.