A CFD-based approach on thermohydraulic performance evaluation and optimisation of the wavy corrugated curved channel solar air heater

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present paper addresses the optimisation of geometrical design and flow parameters of the curved channel solar air heater (SAH). The prominence on heat transfer enhancement, absorber plate temperature, turbulence and thermo-hydraulic performance factors by changing the design and geometrical input parameters such as height, length and width has been thoroughly discussed. In addition, the consequences of amplitude and wavelength of wavy corrugated curved passage SAH are also studied. Here, the effects of different flow and geometrical parameters viz., Reynolds number ( 2000 ≤ R e ≤ 24000 ) , length ( 1 ≤ L ≤ 5 m ) , width ( 0.1 ≤ W ≤ 1 m ) , height ( 0.010 ≤ h ≤ 0.05 m ) , wavelength ( 0.025 ≤ λ ≤ 0.125 m ) and amplitude ( 0.004 ≤ α ≤ 0.024 m ) are investigated and presented at the optimum values on the basis of outlet air temperature and thermo-hydraulic efficiency. Finally, a wavy corrugated surface in the curved channel SAH can expand the heat transfer coefficient to a greater extent in comparison to the smooth wavy curved channel SAH.