IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v234y2024ics0960148124012175.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of various cross-sectional flow passages on the performance of a solar-based thermal energy conversion system

Author

Listed:
  • Kumar, Rajneesh

Abstract

Higher energy demand has motived the researchers for exploring sustainable alternatives like freely available solar energy for space heating and drying applications. In this investigation, three different designs (triangular, triangular with rounded corners, and rectangular) has been proposed and compared with each other for finding the best. The primarily objective of this study is to analyze the effect of different shaped flow-passages on the thermohydraulic performance of the solar air heat. The heat absorbing side i.e. absorber plate is fabricated with the hemispherical roughness elements on it to improve the overall performance. The computational fluid dynamics-based model is developed and solution is simulated with a help of Fluent software. The RNG κ-ɛ model was chosen for turbulence. Results show that rounded corners (SAH-2) offer the best heat transfer for low Reynolds numbers (Re < 12,000), exceeding rectangular (SAH-3) and triangular (SAH-1) by 68 % and 30 %, respectively. However, for higher Reynolds number (15,000–20,000), rectangular passages (SAH-3) deliver the highest thermal-hydraulic performance (THP) of 2.2 (at Re 5600). Therefore, rounded corners are ideal for lower flow rates, while rectangular designs excel at higher flow rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Kumar, Rajneesh, 2024. "Impact of various cross-sectional flow passages on the performance of a solar-based thermal energy conversion system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:234:y:2024:i:c:s0960148124012175
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.121149
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124012175
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2024.121149?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alam, Tabish & Kim, Man-Hoe, 2018. "A comprehensive review on single phase heat transfer enhancement techniques in heat exchanger applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 813-839.
    2. Kumar, Rajneesh & Varun, & Kumar, Anoop, 2016. "Thermal and fluid dynamic characteristics of flow through triangular cross-sectional duct: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 123-140.
    3. Kumar, Vikash, 2019. "Nusselt number and friction factor correlations of three sides concave dimple roughened solar air heater," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 355-377.
    4. Alam, Tabish & Kim, Man-Hoe, 2017. "A critical review on artificial roughness provided in rectangular solar air heater duct," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 387-400.
    5. Salman, Mohammad & Chauhan, Ranchan & Poongavanam, Ganesh Kumar & Kim, Sung Chul, 2022. "Analytical investigation of jet impingement solar air heater with dimple-roughened absorber surface via thermal and effective analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 1248-1257.
    6. Goel, Varun & Kumar, Rajneesh & Bhattacharyya, Suvanjan & Tyagi, V.V. & Abusorrah, Abdullah M., 2021. "A comprehensive parametric investigation of hemispherical cavities on thermal performance and flow-dynamics in the triangular-duct solar-assisted air-heater," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 896-912.
    7. Kumar, Rajneesh, 2024. "Improved solar-thermal heat exchanger for space heating with surface roughness: A numerical parametric investigation and its optimization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kumar, Rajneesh, 2024. "Improved solar-thermal heat exchanger for space heating with surface roughness: A numerical parametric investigation and its optimization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    2. Karmveer & Naveen Kumar Gupta & Tabish Alam & Raffaello Cozzolino & Gino Bella, 2022. "A Descriptive Review to Access the Most Suitable Rib’s Configuration of Roughness for the Maximum Performance of Solar Air Heater," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-46, April.
    3. Kumar, Rajneesh & Goel, Varun, 2021. "Unconventional solar air heater with triangular flow-passage: A CFD based comparative performance assessment of different cross-sectional rib-roughnesses," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1267-1278.
    4. Kumar, Rajneesh & Sharma, Akshay & Goel, Varun & Sharma, Rajesh & Sethi, Muneesh & Tyagi, V.V., 2023. "An experimental investigation of new roughness patterns (dimples with alternative protrusions) for the performance enhancement of solar air heater," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 964-974.
    5. Nidhul, Kottayat & Yadav, Ajay Kumar & Anish, S. & Arunachala, U.C., 2022. "Thermo-hydraulic and exergetic performance of a cost-effective solar air heater: CFD and experimental study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 627-641.
    6. Sivakandhan, C. & Arjunan, T.V. & Matheswaran, M.M., 2020. "Thermohydraulic performance enhancement of a new hybrid duct solar air heater with inclined rib roughness," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 2345-2357.
    7. Chauhan, Ranchan & Kim, Sung Chul, 2019. "Effective efficiency distribution characteristics in protruded/dimpled-arc plate solar thermal collector," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 955-963.
    8. Arunkumar, H.S. & Kumar, Shiva & Karanth, K. Vasudeva, 2020. "Analysis of a solar air heater for augmented thermohydraulic performance using helicoidal spring shaped fins-A numerical study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 297-311.
    9. Hosseinkhani, A. & Gandjalikhan Nassab, S.A., 2024. "Study of gas radiation effect on the performance of single-pass solar heaters with an air gap," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 294(C).
    10. Kumar, Rajneesh & Goel, Varun & Kumar, Anoop, 2018. "Investigation of heat transfer augmentation and friction factor in triangular duct solar air heater due to forward facing chamfered rectangular ribs: A CFD based analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 824-835.
    11. Martí Comamala & Ivan Ruiz Cózar & Albert Massaguer & Eduard Massaguer & Toni Pujol, 2018. "Effects of Design Parameters on Fuel Economy and Output Power in an Automotive Thermoelectric Generator," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-28, November.
    12. Kumar, Vikash, 2021. "Experimental investigation of exergetic efficiency of 3 side concave dimple roughened absorbers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(PB).
    13. Alam, Tabish & Kim, Man-Hoe, 2017. "Performance improvement of double-pass solar air heater – A state of art of review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 779-793.
    14. Said, Zafar & El Haj Assad, M. & Hachicha, Ahmed Amine & Bellos, Evangelos & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali & Alazaizeh, Duha Zeyad & Yousef, Bashria A.A., 2019. "Enhancing the performance of automotive radiators using nanofluids," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 183-194.
    15. Mahir Faris Abdullah & Rozli Zulkifli & Hazim Moria & Asmaa Soheil Najm & Zambri Harun & Shahrir Abdullah & Wan Aizon Wan Ghopa & Noor Humam Sulaiman, 2021. "Assessment of TiO 2 Nanoconcentration and Twin Impingement Jet of Heat Transfer Enhancement—A Statistical Approach Using Response Surface Methodology," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-29, January.
    16. Mashoofi Maleki, Nemat & Pourahmad, Saman & Haghighi Khoshkhoo, Ramin & Ameri, Mohammad, 2023. "Performance improvement of a double tube heat exchanger using novel electromagnetic vibration (EMV) method in the presence of Al2O3-water and CuO-water nanofluid; An experimental study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    17. Ravanji, Abdolvahab & Lee, Ann & Mohammadpour, Javad & Cheng, Shaokoon, 2023. "Critical review on thermohydraulic performance enhancement in channel flows: A comparative study of pin fins," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    18. Chen, Jingtan & Ahmad, Shakeel & Cai, Junjie & Liu, Huaqiang & Lau, Kwun Ting & Zhao, Jiyun, 2021. "Latest progress on nanotechnology aided boiling heat transfer enhancement: A review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(PA).
    19. Kumar R, Reji & Pandey, A.K. & Samykano, M. & Aljafari, Belqasem & Ma, Zhenjun & Bhattacharyya, Suvanjan & Goel, Varun & Ali, Imtiaz & Kothari, Richa & Tyagi, V.V., 2022. "Phase change materials integrated solar desalination system: An innovative approach for sustainable and clean water production and storage," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    20. Kumar, Vikash & Murmu, Ramesh, 2021. "Experimental investigation for thermal performance of inclined spherical ball roughened solar air duct," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1365-1392.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:234:y:2024:i:c:s0960148124012175. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.