Renewable Energy 29 (2004) 20532064 www.elsevier.

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Energy analysis of a solar air collector with rows of ns

N. Moummi, S. Youcef-Ali , A. Moummi, J.Y. Desmons
Laboratoire de Mecanique et dEnergetique, Universite de Valenciennes et du Hainaut Cambresis, Le Mont Houy 59313 Valenciennes Cedex 9, France Received 12 September 2003; accepted 14 November 2003

Abstract The necessity for improving the thermal performances of the solar air collector, for some needs, encouraged us to carry out this study. Initially, to improve the eciency factor of these solar collectors, we create an increasingly turbulent ow between the absorber and the back wooden plate. For that, we use obstacles of various forms. In this study, we chose rectangular plate ns inserted perpendicular to the ow. The uid ows out through the interstices between ns in the same row, this allows a good distribution of the uid and reduces the dead zones. Secondly, and for the same conguration, we undertake a study on the evaluation of the transfer coecient. The results are compared with those obtained with a solar air collector without ns, using two types of absorbers selective (in coppersun) or not selective (black-painted aluminium). # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Solar air collector; Rectangular plate n; Heat loss; Heat transfer; Eciency factor; Convection; Selective absorber and nonselective absorber

1. Introduction The low thermophysical characteristics of air used as a uid of heat transfer in the solar collectors with thermal conversion, require a fully developed turbulent ow. This increases the thermal heat transfer between the absorber-plate and the uid, which clearly improves the thermal performances of the solar collector with obstacles arranged into the air channel duct. These obstacles allow a good distri

Corresponding author. Tel.: +33(0)327511980; fax: +33(0)327511961 E-mail address: sabri.youcef-ali@univ-valenciennes.fr (S. Youcef-Ali).

0960-1481/$ - see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2003.11.006

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Nomenclature A Cp e G Hf hx K L l Ta Tf Tfe Tfs Ts U UL a e U qf s L l, area of absorber plate surface (m2) specic heat of air (J/kgK) gap between the heated plate and the back side plate of collector (m) air volume ow rate (m3/s) global average heat transfer coecient by forced convection between the air and the absorber plate (W/m2K) local average heat transfer coecient in forced convection between the air and the absorber plate (W/m2K) thermal conductivity of absorber (W/mK) length of collector (m) width of collector (m) ambient temperature (K) average uid temperature (air) (K) inlet uid temperature (K) outlet uid temperature (K) local temperature of heated plate (absorber) (K) mean uid velocity (m/s) global heat loss coecient (W/m2K) absorber plate absorption coecient emissivity of absorber plate global irradiance incident on solar air heater collector (W/m2) air density (kg/m3) transparent cover transmittance

bution of the uid ow [1,6]. An experimental study was undertaken, allowing on the one hand, a complete representation of the temperatures prole of the absorber and uid [7], and on the other hand, the evaluation of the convective heat coefcient along the air channel duct with rectangular plate ns inserted perpendicular to the ow. Few studies have been carried out on the solar collectors with rectangular ns. One can quote the work of Letz [4], who modied the existing correlations used for the smooth duct by multiplying the Nusselt number by a constant factor representing the exchange improvement caused by obstacles. Other experimental studies were related to the solar collectors whose duct is lled with cutting edge in metal or in aluminium and with pebbles [3], where it was noted a clear improvement of the thermal performances because of the increase in the convective heat coecient. Other work [2] concerned the interaction between the radiation and the convection in solar collector with a porous bed, where the best increase in the heat coecient can reach 300%. Similar works were carried out on at extra compact exchangers, generally used in the aerospace and the air conditioning systems. Previous studies [24,6,7] are noted which carried all on rectangular plate ns

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and where a net increase in heat convective exchangewas recorded. The solar collectors provided with ns studied in this document were the subject of work carried out within the framework of an exploitation of the solar eld [79] and applications on the foodstu solar drying using oset rectangular plate n absorberplates [10]. 2. Theoretical analysis The absorber is a black-painted aluminium sheet or coppersun plate. Its thickness is very low (0.4 mm) and it has very high thermal conductivity, which enables us to assume it is semi-innite solid, and therefore suppose that the supercial temperature of the upper surface is quasi-confused with that of the lower surface, for a xed position x. One assumes that the uid ows out in the x-direction, with the mean value of velocity U (Fig. 1). The uid mean temperature Tf represents the average temperature at t-time of air in the duct section area S, and qf , Cp are, respectively, the density and specic heat of the uid at the mean temperature. The uid temperature Tf is assumed constant in each section perpendicular to the ow, and dependent only on x. If it is admitted that qf and Cp are constant along the air ow, the quantity of heat exchanged by a uid element during dt-time and per unit of length is given as: ! @Tf @Tf U dq qf Cp S dt dx 1 @t @x where S l e is the total cross section perpendicular to the air ow. We describe the heat transfer between the uid and the absorber by a local heat coecient hx, the heat ux by convection from the absorber-plate to this uid element is given as: Ux hxTn Tf 2

where Tn is the supercial absorber temperature in x-point, taken as an average along the absorber width l.

Fig. 1. Detail in air channel duct.

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That is to say: dq Ux ldxdt 3

The coecient (h) depends on the nature of the uid ow and the quality of contact between the absorber-plate and the air. It also depends on the mean temperature of uid (Tf ) and on the absorber-plate temperature, thus giving: hx Tn Tf @Tf @Tf U 4 e qf C p @t @x The uid and absorber-plate temperature proles are obtained by the equation of the smoothed curve of the experimental points. The temperature Tf represents the average temperature in the section S according to the height (z 10 mm, z 15 mm and z 20 mm) and the width (y 0:2 m, y 0:4 m and y 0:6 m) (Fig. 2). In the permanent regime where the collector reaches its thermal balance, one can write: @Tf 0 @t 5

Consequently, the local heat transfer coecients are evaluated at a given position for dierent air volume ow rates by the relationship: @Tf x @x hx Tn x Tf x eUqf Cp

The collector eciency factor, which is the ratio of the heat quantity absorbed by uid for the global irradiance incident on solar air heater collector, is dened by: g qf Cp GTfs Tfe AU 7

where A 1:28 m2 is the area of collecting, U represents the global irradiance incident on solar air heater collector in W/m2, G is the air volume ow rate in m3/s

Fig. 2. Points of measurement of the temperatures in a section S perpendicular to the ow.

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and Tfs Tfe is the dierence in temperature of the air between the entrance and the exit of the collector.

3. Experimental device The experimental setup is schematised by a solar air collector as show in Fig. 3. The collector has L 1:6 m length and l 0:8 m width. The transparent cover is in alveolar polycarbonate sheets 10 mm thick and the gap between the cover and the absorber-plate was 25 mm. The collector is formed by a black-painted aluminium sheet 0.4 mm thick (nonselective absorber: k 205 W=mK, e 0:9 and a 0:95) or coppersun plate (selective absorber: k 380 W=mK, e 0:1 and a 0:95) used as an absorber plate and by a wooden plate as the back side of the collector duct. The rear insulation is provided by a polystyrene sheet 50 mm thick which is sandwiched between the back side of the duct and an external wooden plate. To change the collector conguration, you need to replace the wooden plate by another wooden plate with xed interrupted rectangular ns. The gap between the parallel plates was e 25 mm, then the air passed through the test section. The ns have a height of e0 20 mm and a width of l 0 50 mm (e0 =e 0:8), and were attached to an unheated plate. The interrupted ns have widths of 50 mm and were mounted in staggered rows. The consecutive rows of ns are spaced out 10 mm apart along the length of the collector. The total surface comprises of 8 ns over

Fig. 3. Collector with nned system on the back wooden plate.

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the width and 140 ns over the length. This disposition was selected to be an optimal conguration according to nature, the distribution and the ns dimensions and which is justied by the promising results from the undertaken studies.

4. Results and discussion The eciency increases with the increase of the volume ow rate as show in Fig. 4. In addition, one notes that an asymptotic regime was reached during which the increase in the volume ow rate is useless. The eciency increases with the use of ns. These later stop 80% height of the duct. By introducing them, for xed air volume ow rate at 35 m3/hm2, the enhancement of the eciency was 30% for a collector provided with a selective absorber plate and 29% for a collector with a nonselective absorber plate (Fig. 4). There are not great dierences between the use of selective or nonselective absorber plates. The introduction of these ns will make it possible to reduce the expenditure generated to transport the air, obviously at the desired temperature. As an illustration, it is easy to show that to have an eciency of 45%, the electrical power spent by the use of a collector without ns to a collector provided with these ns, is multiplied by 15, because the ratio of the powers is proportional to the cube of the ratio of the volume ow rates. In other words, in the case of a collector without ns, 15 multiply the power required to have the same eciency. For a xed volume ow rate at 60 m3/hm2, the value of the eciency is 45% for a collector without ns, whereas it is approximately 80% for a collector provided with ns. In addition, it is obvious that there is an increase in the pressure losses generated by the addition of the ns involving a rise in the electrical powers. However, whatever the conguration of the ns used, this increase always remains lower than the increase in the electrical power extracted by the collector. 4.1. Heat transfer coecient The model used for the calculation of the local heat convective coecient between the air and the absorber (Eq. (6)), enabled us, on the one hand, to calculate this coecient for rather complex geometrical congurations and on the other hand, to compare it with the literature results. Indeed, a correction concerning the Nusselt number made it possible for Letz [4] to calculate the heat coecient by using a correlation valid for a smooth plate (without ns) and by multiplying it by a constant coecient of correction representing the exchange improvement due to the presence of the ns. This coecient of correction is 1.4 (under the conditions v used, i.e. of the inclinations collectors between 20 and 60 , for air ows which vary between 50 and 110 m3/hm2 and for inlet air temperatures which vary between 25 v and 55 C). With this coecient, the heat coecient improvement is 40%. We have used the correlation of Parker [5], valid for collector without ns and whose choice is justied by the fact that this correlation extends on all the elds from the Reynolds number, to calculate the average heat convective coecient.

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Fig. 4. Collector eciency factor vs the air volume ow rate for dierent congurations of collectors.

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Table 1 Comparisons of the average heat transfer coecients (selective absorber) 3388.8 Re  38.09 H fcalculated  16.89 H fParker Enhancements in (%) 55.65 3490.5 38.78 17.59 54.82 4795.2 46.99 23.14 50.75 5930.5 54.24 27.16 49.92 6777.7 58.85 29.83 49.31 8573.8 9776 62.15 68.59 35.29 38.02 43.22 44.57

Table 2 Comparisons of the average heat transfer coecients (nonselective absorber) 3100.1 Re  36.23 H fcalculated  15.95 H fParker Enhancements in (%) 55.97 3388.8 36.24 16.89 53.39 4574.9 45.73 23.18 49.09 6201.6 60.28 28.02 53.51 7557.1 62.48 32.23 48.41 8472.1 65.98 34.89 46.96 0166.5 71.4 39.93 44.07

The correlation of Parker is as follows: Nu Nu Nu Nu 0:344 R0:35 e 1:68 109 R2:25 e 2:55 103 R1:04 e 19:8 103 R0:8 e 100 < Re < 2100 2100 < Re < 2850 2850 < Re < 5650 5650 < Re < 100000

The results obtained are compared with the average results obtained from the model that we proposed and this in the case of a collector provided with a selective and nonselective absorber plate (Tables 1 and 2). The examination of the results, shown in Tables 1 and 2, makes it possible to say that the presence of ns in the air channel duct doubles the heat transfer coecient in forced convection. Indeed, the improvements due to these ns are about 50% for the type of studied congurations. 4.2. Variation of the Nusselt number according to the reduced parameter (x/L) for various ows For a given air volume ow rate lower than 50 m3/hm2 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the Nusselt number increases starting from the entry of the collector until a length equal to 0.6 m which corresponds to approximately 40% overall length of the collector and for which one records the maximum value. Then, it decreases gradually to the exit of the collector. Beyond 50 m3/hm2, the curves shape changes dramatically (Figs. 7 and 8). The Nusselt number reaches great values at the entry of the collector, then falls gradually until a length of the collector is 0.7 m. Thereafter, it strongly falls to the exit of the collector. A transient regime thus seems to appear in a range of ows between 50 and 60 m3/hm2. We think that this change of regime can be explained by the fact that with low air ows (< 50 m3/hm2), the boundary layers develop over a rather large length starting from the entry of the collector, and the ow is quasi-uniform in each sec-

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Fig. 5. Nusselt number vs the parameter (x/L) for dierent air volume ow rates lower than 50 m3/hm2 v (Finned plate with nonselective absorber, U 900 W=m2 and Tfe 26 C).

tion, in particular towards the exit of the collector. On the other hand, for the great ows (> 50 m3/hm2), the ow is strongly turbulent as of the entry of the collector, which would explain the abrupt increase in the Nusselt number in this zone. Finally in the proximity of the exit of the collector, the dead zones appear on the two sides because of the form of the air ow channeled on the presence of convergent at the exit (Fig. 3).

Fig. 6. Nusselt number vs the parameter (x/L) for dierent air volume ow rates lower than 50 m3/hm2 v (Finned plate with selective absorber, U 900 W=m2 and Tfe 26 C).

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Fig. 7. Nusselt number vs the parameter (x/L) for dierent air volume ow rates upper than 50 m3/hm2 v (Finned plate with nonselective absorber, U 900 W=m2 and Tfe 26 C).

4.3. Comparison between the results obtained and those calculated from the global heat balance The average values of the heat transfer coecient, for various air volume ow rates, are compared with the computed values by using the global heat balance.

Fig. 8. Nusselt number vs the parameter (x/L) for dierent air volume ow rates upper than 50 m3/hm2 v (Finned plate with selective absorber, U 900 W=m2 and Tfe 26 C).

N. Moummi et al. / Renewable Energy 29 (2004) 20532064 Table 3 Collector with rectangular ns and nonselective absorber G (m3/hm2)  H f calculated by local coecients  H f calculated by using the global heat balance Relative variations in (%) 85.38 71.4 54.73 69.23 65.98 52.13 61.75 62.48 51.57 50.67 60.28 49.76 37.38 45.73 47.47 27.69 36.21 41.26

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23.3

20.93

17.46

17.45

03.67

12.24

The thermal losses, if they are linearisables, can be written in the form: qp A UL Ts Ta The power extracted by the air can be expressed by: qu AHf Ts Tf In a stationary regime: UsaA qu qp Hf Ts Tf UL Ts Ta From where: Hf Usa UL Ts Ta Ts Tf

The results of the calculations are shown in Table 3. The variations noticed are due primarily to the facts that the calculated sizes are average sizes on the one hand and on the other hand, because of the linearisation of the thermal losses.

5. Conclusion At the end of this study, through the experiments undertaken, we determined the temperature proles of the air and absorber plate in the presence of rectangular ns. It arises from the recorded values that the addition of ns makes it possible to increase the heat transfer. As for the absorber selectivity, it does not represent a remarkable improvement in the presence of ns. This is explained by the fact that the nonselective absorber warms up in the absence of ns and emitted of advantage, therefore there are more thermal losses, whereas if the absorber is selective, the losses are relatively small and the dierence of the coecients of emission is compensated by the presence of ns which cool the absorber. We also gave an approximate approach on the calculation of the heat convective transfer coecient in the air channel duct, the adopted model takes account of the ow geometry and of the absorber nature.

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