IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i15p5755-d1208645.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

CFD Analysis of Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Flat-Plate Solar Collector/Evaporator with Different Geometric Variations in the Cross Section

Author

Listed:
  • William Quitiaquez

    (Productivity and Industrial Simulation Research Group (GIIPSI), Department of Master’s Degree in Production and Industrial Operations, Engineering, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Quito EC170525, Ecuador
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Quito EC170525, Ecuador)

  • José Estupiñán-Campos

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Quito EC170525, Ecuador)

  • César Nieto-Londoño

    (Escuela de Ingenierías, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín CO050031, Colombia)

  • Patricio Quitiaquez

    (Productivity and Industrial Simulation Research Group (GIIPSI), Department of Master’s Degree in Production and Industrial Operations, Engineering, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Quito EC170525, Ecuador
    Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Quito EC170525, Ecuador)

Abstract

There is a growing demand from the industrial sector and the population to cover the need for water temperature increases that can be covered with systems such as heat pumps. The present research aims to increase the heat transfer to the working fluid in a collector/evaporator, part of a solar-assisted direct expansion heat pump. This research was developed using a numerical analysis and by applying computational fluid dynamics; different simulations were performed to compare the performances of collector/evaporators with models exhibiting variations in the cross-section profile under similar conditions. An average incident solar radiation of 464.1 W·m −2 was considered during the analysis. For the comparison, profiles with hexagon-, four-leaf clover-, and circular-shaped sections with floral shapes, among others, were analysed, resulting in a temperature increase at the outlet of the working fluid of 1.3 °C. In comparison, the collector/evaporator surface temperature varied between 4 and 13.8 °C, while the internal temperature of the fluid reached 11.21 °C. Finally, it is indicated that the best results were presented by analysing the profile corresponding to the circular section with the flower shape.

Suggested Citation

  • William Quitiaquez & José Estupiñán-Campos & César Nieto-Londoño & Patricio Quitiaquez, 2023. "CFD Analysis of Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Flat-Plate Solar Collector/Evaporator with Different Geometric Variations in the Cross Section," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:15:p:5755-:d:1208645
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/15/5755/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/15/5755/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhou, Liqun & Wang, Yiping & Huang, Qunwu, 2019. "CFD investigation of a new flat plate collector with additional front side transparent insulation for use in cold regions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 754-763.
    2. Abdelhamid Ajbar & Bilal Lamrani & Emad Ali, 2023. "Dynamic Investigation of a Coupled Parabolic Trough Collector–Phase Change Material Tank for Solar Cooling Process in Arid Climates," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-25, May.
    3. Badiei, Z. & Eslami, M. & Jafarpur, K., 2020. "Performance improvements in solar flat plate collectors by integrating with phase change materials and fins: A CFD modeling," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    4. Gunjo, Dawit Gudeta & Mahanta, Pinakeswar & Robi, P.S., 2017. "CFD and experimental investigation of flat plate solar water heating system under steady state condition," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 24-36.
    5. Tuğçe Demirdelen & Hakan Alıcı & Burak Esenboğa & Manolya Güldürek, 2023. "Performance and Economic Analysis of Designed Different Solar Tracking Systems for Mediterranean Climate," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-23, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Diana Isabel Berrocal & Juan Blandon Rodriguez & Maria De Los Angeles Ortega Del Rosario & Itamar Harris & Arthur M. James Rivas, 2024. "Heat Transfer Enhancements Assessment in Hot Water Generation with Phase Change Materials (PCMs): A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-35, May.
    2. Wiesław Zima & Łukasz Mika & Karol Sztekler, 2024. "Numerical and Experimental Determination of Selected Performance Indicators of the Liquid Flat-Plate Solar Collector under Outdoor Conditions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-22, July.

    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. Ma, Ruihua & Ma, Dongyan & Ma, Ruijiang & Long, Enshen, 2022. "Theoretical and experimental analysis of temperature variation of V–Ti black ceramic solar collector," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 1153-1162.
    2. Chen, C.Q. & Diao, Y.H. & Zhao, Y.H. & Wang, Z.Y. & Zhu, T.T. & Wang, T.Y. & Liang, L., 2021. "Numerical evaluation of the thermal performance of different types of double glazing flat-plate solar air collectors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    3. Amiche, A. & El Hassar, S.M.K. & Larabi, A. & Khan, Z.A. & Khan, Z. & Aguilar, F.J. & Quiles, P.V., 2020. "Innovative overheating solution for solar thermal collector using a reflective surface included in the air gap," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 355-365.
    4. Gunjo, Dawit Gudeta & Mahanta, Pinakeswar & Robi, Puthuveettil Sreedharan, 2017. "Exergy and energy analysis of a novel type solar collector under steady state condition: Experimental and CFD analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 114(PB), pages 655-669.
    5. Radwan, Ali & Abo-Zahhad, Essam M. & El-Sharkawy, Ibrahim I. & Said, Zafar & Abdelrehim, Osama & Memon, Saim & Cheng, Ping & Soliman, Ahmed Saad, 2024. "Thermal analysis of a bifacial vacuum-based solar thermal collector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 294(C).
    6. Madhankumar, S. & Viswanathan, Karthickeyan, 2022. "Computational and experimental study of a novel corrugated-type absorber plate solar collector with thermal energy storage moisture removal device," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).
    7. Das, Debayan & Lukose, Leo & Basak, Tanmay, 2018. "Role of multiple solar heaters along the walls for the thermal management during natural convection in square and triangular cavities," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 205-229.
    8. Ashour, Amr Fathy & El-Awady, Ahmed T. & Tawfik, Mohsen A., 2022. "Numerical investigation on the thermal performance of a flat plate solar collector using ZnO & CuO water nanofluids under Egyptian weathering conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    9. Kumar, Amit & Akshayveer, & Singh, Ajeet Pratap & Singh, O.P., 2022. "Investigations for efficient design of a new counter flow double-pass curved solar air heater," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 759-770.
    10. Elguezabal, P. & Lopez, A. & Blanco, J.M. & Chica, J.A., 2020. "CFD model-based analysis and experimental assessment of key design parameters for an integrated unglazed metallic thermal collector façade," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 1766-1780.
    11. Abbas Sahi Shareef & Hayder Jabbar Kurji & Hassan Abdulameer Matrood, 2021. "A Review of Using Phase Change Materials to Improve the Productivity of a Solar Still," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 8(8), pages 176-180, August.
    12. Cătălin Alexandru, 2024. "Simulation and Optimization of a Dual-Axis Solar Tracking Mechanism," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-32, March.
    13. Liu, He & Tian, You & Liu, Jia'ao & Zhang, Dongwei & Wu, Xuehong & Li, Zengyao, 2023. "Performance analysis of solar drying system with sunlight transparent thermally insulating aerogels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    14. Gong, Shuai & Li, Qiong & Shao, Liqun & Ding, Yuwen & Gao, Wenfeng, 2024. "Performance analysis of V-corrugated flat plate collector containing binary crystal thermal storage materials," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    15. Americano da Costa, Marcus V. & Narasimhan, Arunkumar & Guillen, Diego & Joseph, Babu & Goswami, D. Yogi, 2020. "Generalized distributed state space model of a CSP plant for simulation and control applications: Single-phase flow validation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 36-48.
    16. Karimi, Mohammad Sadjad & Fazelpour, Farivar & Rosen, Marc A. & Shams, Mehrzad, 2019. "Comparative study of solar-powered underfloor heating system performance in distinctive climates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 524-535.
    17. Moldovan, Macedon & Rusea, Ioana & Visa, Ion, 2021. "Optimising the thickness of the water layer in a triangle solar thermal collector," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 381-388.
    18. Farshad, Seyyed Ali & Sheikholeslami, M., 2019. "Nanofluid flow inside a solar collector utilizing twisted tape considering exergy and entropy analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 246-258.
    19. Yıldız, Çağatay & Arıcı, Müslüm & Nižetić, Sandro & Shahsavar, Amin, 2020. "Numerical investigation of natural convection behavior of molten PCM in an enclosure having rectangular and tree-like branching fins," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    20. Sheikholeslami, M. & Farshad, Seyyed Ali, 2021. "Investigation of solar collector system with turbulator considering hybrid nanoparticles," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1128-1158.

    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:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:15:p:5755-:d:1208645. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.