Solar air heater performance enhancement with differently shaped miniature combined with dimple shaped roughness: CFD and experimental analysis

Abstract

A numerical study was carried out in a solar air heater (SAH) using different shapes of miniature (V, arc and transverse broken-miniature) combined with dimples on an absorber panel to improve heat transfer. For an experimental and simulation study using ANSYS (Fluent), a dimple with a V-miniature rib was fabricated on a plate (absorber) as a roughness element. By providing the angle of attack (α), relative long way (RLL) length (l/d), relative height (roughness) and relative wire lengths (w/Dh) ranging from 45 to 75°, 15–25, 0.024–0.036 and 0.14–0.21 respectively. The thermohydraulic performance (THP) factor of the proposed roughness was also investigated at Reynolds numbers (Re) ranging from 5000 to 20000. Results of average Nusselt number, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), fluid flow characteristics and temperature are included to analyse the comparative merits of each dimple with miniature arrangements. The results revealed that among dimples with different miniatures, 90° transverse broken-miniature with dimple shows best thermohydraulic performance at Re below 10,000 while a dimple with V-miniature at an angle of attack (α) 45° shows the highest thermohydraulic performance at Re above 8750. It was found that THP achieved a maximum value of 1.63 at α = 45°, l/d = 20 and w/Dh = 0.18 at Reynolds number 12,500 for the dimple with a V-miniature rib.