Experimental and transient CFD analysis of parallel-flow solar air collectors with paraffin-filled recyclable aluminum cans as latent heat energy storage unit

Abstract

In the present study, it is aimed to improve the overall performance of a parallel-flow solar air collector (PSC) using phase change material (PCM)-based latent heat energy storage unit and recyclable materials. In the simulation part of this work, two PSCs including a collector without modification and a collector equipped with PCM filled aluminum cans have been analyzed. The simulation part of the current work is handling the flow of air through the collectors and melting-solidification of PCM material inside the aluminum cans. Considering the simulation study results, three different PSC configurations have been manufactured including an unmodified PSC, a PSC with PCM-filled aluminum cans on the front side of the absorber and a PSC with PCM-filled aluminum cans on both sides (back and front) of the absorber surface. According to the results of the analyses, utilizing PCM-filled aluminum cans in both surfaces of the absorber plate of the PSC improved numerically and experimentally obtained exergetic efficiency values as 61.70% and 74.03%, respectively. Moreover, enviro-economic analysis has been conducted within the scope of this work. The payback periods of the analyzed systems were between 2.17 and 2.43 years. Employing PCM in the both sides of the absorber surface decreased the payback time of the system as 10.69% in comparison to the conventional PSC. Moreover, using PCMs on the single and double side of the absorber plate improved the annual carbon dioxide savings as 22.68% and 35.42%, respectively.