CFD Numerical Investigation of a New Solar Flat Air-Collector Having Different Obstacles with Various Configurations and Arrangements

This work deals with a numerical parametric optimization study of a new Solar Flat Air Collector (SFAC) configuration. The CFD numerical parametric study investigates various SFAC structures inside the air cavity without obstacles and with spherical, cubic, cylindrical, and pyramidal obstacles. The study optimizes the most convenient configuration and arrangement that allow for the increase of the heat-transfer surface and to make the flow homogeneous in order to generate turbulence zones inside the SFAC air cavity. The result shows that the thermal performances of the cubic form are close to those of the spherical obstacles. Another set of simulations was performed to evaluate the performances of the cubic shape baffles for three orientation angles equal to 0°, 22.5°, and 45°, respectively. Each configuration has three forms of arrangement with a relative roughness pitch (b/a) varying between 2, 4, and 6. The results of the simulation study showed that the relative roughness pitch, the Reynolds number, as well as the angle of orientation influence the performance and the operation of the SFAC. The results of the simulations showed that the combination of an orientation of 45° with a roughness pitch of b/a = 2 increases the SFAC thermal performances, which can reach 85%.