scholarly journals Selecting the Optimal Configuration for a Solar Air Heater Using the Grey–Taguchi Method

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 317
Author(s):  
Raheleh Nowzari ◽  
Nima Mirzaei ◽  
Kiyan Parham

In this study, a typical Grey–Taguchi method has been applied in order to select the optimal configuration of a solar air heater to achieve optimum performance. The analysis is performed for different system configurations in terms of collector type, mass flow rate, and cover type. The Grey–Taguchi method, which requires the minimum possible numbers of the demanded experiments for accomplishing a robust statistical decision for a given experimental problem, has been employed, and temperature difference and thermal performance have been used as the two main criteria. It is found that by considering the temperature difference criterion, at a mass flow rate of 0.011 kg/s, the best configuration is the double-pass solar collector owning a one-fourth pierced Plexiglas cover with a distance of 60 mm between the centers of the holes. On the other hand, by considering the thermal performance as the criterion, the best configuration at a mass flow rate of 0.032 kg/s is found to be the double-pass solar collector holding a half-pierced Plexiglas cover and a distance of 60 mm distance between the centers of the holes. Finally, once both factors are taken into consideration, the optimal configuration suggested by the method is the double-pass collector with a one-quarter pierced Plexiglas cover. The method also suggests keeping a 30 mm distance between the centers of the holes and applying 0.032 kg/s of the mass flow rate to achieve the highest performance.

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Satyender Singh ◽  
Prashant Dhiman

The present work intended to investigate thermal and thermohydraulic efficiencies of two different models of recyclic double pass packed bed solar air heaters experimentally. Model-I consists of single air pass through two glass covers as well as double air pass caused due to recycle of the air exiting from the packed bed duct formed between the absorber plate and the glass cover through another duct integrated between the absorber and back plates to inlet of the packed bed duct. On the other hand, model-II consists of only double air pass originated due to recycle operation constituted between the similar solar air heater elements as that of model-I. Twelve numbers of wire mesh screens to form 95% bed porosity were used. Both solar air heater models were tested under the range of packed bed Reynolds number from 300 to 1500 for air mass flow rate and recycle ratio of 0.01 kg/s to 0.025 kg/s and 0.3 to 1.8, respectively. Results revealed that thermal performance of model-I is found to be 15% higher than that of model-II. The optimum value of the recycle ratio for model-I and model-II are obtained as 0.9 and 1.2, respectively, at a mass flow rate of 0.025 kg/s that yields the best thermohydraulic efficiency of 77% and 67%, respectively. Moreover, optimum solution for recycle ratio and air mass flow rate during off sun shine hours are also obtained and presented in the current work.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (6 Part A) ◽  
pp. 2389-2399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duraisamy Jagadeesh ◽  
Ramasamy Venkatachalam ◽  
Gurusamy Nallakumarasamy

Evaluation of experimental thermal performance of a single pass solar air dryer is compared with a transient CFD studies is performed. Vertical hollow plates are placed below the absorber plate and compared against the flat solar absorber plate for its performance improvement. Effect of mass-flow rate, the outlet temperature of air is computationally analyzed in comparison with the experimental work, transient boundary conditions for CFD like ambient temperature, solar insolation are taken from the experimental work, and computational results are in good agreement of with experimental results with maximum error percentage of 10%. Thermal efficiency was increased with increase in mass-flow area for without fin configuration, for a specific mass-flow rate thermal efficiency had a good improvement with fin configuration than the without fin configuration.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gnanadurai Sugantharaj ◽  
Kumar Vijay ◽  
Kalidasa Kulundaivel

Solar air heating is a technology in which the solar energy from the sun is captured by an absorbing medium and used to heat the air flowing through the heater. In this study, thermal performance of a double pass solar air heater has been investigated experimentally at different conditions. The experiments were conducted with different inclinations of the collector, with and without wire mesh vertically fixed at the second pass in transverse direction and with different mass flow rates. The effect of air mass flow rate, wire mesh pitch and collector inclination on temperature rise and thermal efficiency have been studied. Results show that efficiency increases with mass flow rate. For the same mass flow rate, the thermal efficiency increases with the decrease in the wire mesh pitch. The maximum daily average efficiency of air heater was 79.8% at 0.025 kg/s mass flow rate, 10 cm wire mesh gap and 9? collector inclination facing south. The highest collector efficiency was observed in solar air heaters with 10 cm wire mesh gap.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatah O. Al Ghuol ◽  
K. Sopian ◽  
Shahrir Abdullah

This research aims to study, analyze, design, and construct a solar air heater combined with an appropriate phase-change material (PCM) unit. This solar air heater is analogous to a collector integrating a thermal storage unit and a solar thermal collector. In this study, such single-pass solar air heater in amalgamation with PCM was constructed, and several tests were conducted on this device. During the experiments for the solar collector with PCM (spherical capsules), the temperature varied between 30°C and 35°C, and the air mass flow rate ranged between 0.03 and 0.09 kg/s. Results confirmed the predicted experimental findings. With the use of paraffin wax-aluminum composite, the thermal storage efficiency of the constructed solar air heater reached a maximum value of 71% at 0.05 kg/s mass flow rate, its charging time decreased by almost 70%, and its cooling rate increased. The thermal storage efficiency of the compound composite was 76.8% at 0.07 kg/s mass flow rate. The results also indicated that the time of charging decreased by almost 60% with the use of paraffin wax-aluminum composite.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1 Part B) ◽  
pp. 487-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aminreza Noghrehabadi ◽  
Ebrahim Hajidavaloo ◽  
Mojtaba Moravej ◽  
Ali Esmailinasab

Solar collectors are the key part of solar water heating systems. The most widely produced solar collectors are flat plate solar collectors. In the present study, two types of flat plate collectors, namely square and rhombic collectors are experi?mentally tested and compared and the thermal performance of both collectors is investigated. The results show both collectors have the same performance around noon (?61%), but the rhombic collector has better performance in the morning and afternoon. The values for rhombic and square collectors are approximately 56.2% and 53.5% in the morning and 56.1% and 54% in the afternoon, respectively. The effect of flow rate is also studied. The thermal efficiency of rhombic and square flat plate collectors increases in proportion to the flow rate. The results indicated the rhombic collector had better performance in comparison with the square collector with respect to the mass-flow rate.


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