Applied Energy 17 (1984) 181-190

Effects of Design Parameters on the Performance of Channel-Type Solar Energy Air Heaters with Corrugated Plates
M. M. S o r o u r and Z. A. M o t t a l e b
Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria (Egypt)

S UMMA R Y This experimental investigation of corrugated, channel-type solar air heaters is more concerned with design than environmental or operating parameters. The main system parameters considered include the corrugation geometry (i.e. rectangular, triangular and circular cross sections) and the flow arrangements which include the flow above and/or below, or within, the absorber plate. These design parameters were investigated for various flow rates, numbers of glass covers and inlet air temperatures.

NOMENCLATURE A 1, A 2 and A 3 B1, Be and B3 C~, C z and C 3

D I , D 2 and D 3

De Q I

Flow passage between the absorber plate and the lower cover for one, two and three glass plates. Flow passage between the back insulation and the lower cover for one, two and three glass plates. Flow passage between the absorber plate and the back insulation for one, two and three glass plates. Flow passage within the corrugations of the absorber plate for one, two and three glass plates. Equivalent diameter of the flow passage cross-sectional area (m). Mass flow rate (kg s-1). Rate of incidence of radiation per unit area of the tilted collector surface (W m - 2).

181 Applied Energy 0306-2619/84/$03.00 Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1984. Printed in Great Britain

182

M. M. Sorour, Z. A. Mottaleb

X L AT FP FAP C TC RC CC CAP MC MTCC MRCC MCCC

Axial distance from the channel entrance (m). Total axial length (m). Air temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the solar collector (C). Flat plate. Flat absorber plate. Corrugated. Triangular corrugated. Rectangular corrugated. Circular corrugated. Corrugated absorber plate. Modified corrugated D. Modified triangular corrugated collector. Modified rectangular corrugated collector. Modified circular corrugated collector.

INTRODUCTI ON The major limiting factor in solar air heater performance is the resistance to heat transfer between the air being heated and the solar absorbing plate. 1 The parameters which govern the heat transfer process provide a number of possibilities for improving the absorber-to-air heat transfer rate. The absorber heat transfer area and the convective heat transfer coefficient between the air and the absorber surface are two important design parameters. Increasing these parameters increases the heat transfer rate from the absorber to the flowing air and reduces the temperature levels through the collector components. The reduction in temperature level reduces the heat losses to the environment through the glass covers, side walls and back insulation which thereby increases the collector efficiency. There have been various investigations devoted to studying the influence of using a non-fiat absorber plate on the performance of solar air heaters. From the theoretical aspect, Close 2 and Cole-Appell and Hoberstroh 3 indicated that the V-corrugated and finned absorber plates are more useful in air heater applications than the flat plate. On the other hand, Shockey e t al. 4 experimentally studied the performance of a backcorrugated absorber plate consisting of a rectangular corrugated plate

Design parameters in solar air heaters with corrugated plates

183

attached to the back of a flat absorber plate: the results indicated the same trend. Sparrow et al.5 studied the overall heat transfer coefficient for laminar flows in an array of longitudinal fins. They found that, based on a unit area, the fin is more efficient than the fiat surface. Hollands and Shewan 6 showed that using a V-corrugated absorber plate can increase the heat transfer coefficient by 46 per cent in the laminar regime, all other conditions being the same. Subsequently, the same authors 7 indicated that this increase could reach up to 300 per cent in the turbulent regime when the V-corrugated system is thermally bonded to the back plate. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the heat transfer characteristics of rectangular and triangular ducts with applications to solar collector plate design. 8'9 This experimental investigation is a study of the performance of the solar air heater with a corrugated absorber plate. In this study, three shapes of corrugated absorber plate were considered rectangular, triangular and circular. The main design parameter considered was the flow arrangement. Four flow arrangements were studied: flow of air below and/or above the absorber plate or within the corrugations of the absorber plate only. In addition, the effects of inter-plate spacing, number of glass covers, flow rates and inlet air temperature were also studied.

E X P E R I M E N T A L SET U P The experimental set up is composed of a flat-plate collector, an electric fan, flow measuring devices and a data logger. The collector consists of two (2.75 m x 0-64m 0.10m) identical channels, the exit of one being used as the inlet to the other by circulating the air in a wooden box located at the rear end of the collector. Three equal aluminum sheets, 2 m m thick, were corrugated to rectangular, triangular, and circular shapes, such that the absorber plate formed occupies the whole width of the collector. The details of these plates, as well as their method of fixture in the duct, are presented in Fig. 1. In addition, the design of the air inlet system allowed the choice of the flow passage as follows--air flows between the lower glass cover and the absorber plate, A; between the lower glass cover and the back insulation, B; between the absorber plate and the back insulation, C; and within the corrugations of the absorber plate, D.

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M. M. Sorour, Z. A. Mottaleb

................................... 6tO m m

,4

30 m r n

C .C.P
A B
/

T.C.P
D Fig. 1. Schematic diagrams of the flow arrangements, geometries of the corrugated plates and their orientation in the total air heater.

In this investigation, three 3 m m glass covers, 1 cm apart, were considered separately as one, two and three cover arrangements. The convective and radiative losses, as well as the thermal efficiencies, were calculated as indicated previously. 1

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Conclusions obtained from solar collectors with corrugated absorber plates that are qualitatively similar to those for fiat plates are not presented. Of these conclusions double-glazing was found to be the most effective. Furthermore, the most efficient collector performance was obtained when ambient air was used as the heat carrier and not the recirculated hot air. Therefore, all results presented will be limited to the double-glazing system and for the inlet air at ambient temperatures. The effect of mass flow rate on the efficiency of the solar air heater is presented in Fig. 2. The thermal efficiency increases with the flow rate for all flow arrangements A 2, B 2 and C 2, and corrugated absorber plates. However, for the triangular configuration, the significant increase in etficiency which occurs at low flow rates decreases at higher flow rates. The solar air heater with CCP is the most efficient and that with T C P the least efficient.

Design parameters in solar air heaters with corrugated plates

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Fig. 2. Effect of flow rate on the performance characteristics for various arrangements of solar air heater with various types of absorber plate. This behaviour is due to the intimacy of the flow of air to the CCP compared with the RCP and TCP. The lack of intimacy is due to eddies associated with flows near sharp corners. These eddies form dead zones that inhibit the flowing cold air from extracting heat from the hot absorber plate by direct contact. In addition, these eddies are expected to be much more influential in the TCP than in the RCP, and at higher flow rates. As an example of a comparison between the performances of the solar air heater and the flat or corrugated absorber plates (FAP and CAP), Fig. 3 presents results for model C 2. It can be seen that, for most flow rates, the CAP produced higher thermal efficiencies than the FAP. Conversely, for very small flow rates, the opposite is true. This phenomenon is due to the formation of boundary layers on the CAP, which promotes mixing and consequently enhances the heat transfer process. On the other hand, for very small flow rates, the induced mixing is less significant than the increase of heat losses from the extended

186

M. M. Sorour, Z. A. Mottaleb
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0.01

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Fig. 3.

Comparison between the behaviours of the different types of absorber plate at various flow rates for model C 2.

surface. The formation of natural convection currents on vertical and inclined surfaces and the excessive radiation losses from the absorber plate due to its higher temperature are the main sources of heat loss. It is to be noted that similar effects were noticed in a study of a finned absorber plate in outdoor 11 and indoor 12 experiments. To illustrate the effect of flow rate on the temperatures of the glass cover and the absorber plate, the results of the T C P are presented in Fig. 4. As the flow rate increases, the temperatures of both plates decrease, which indicates an increase in heat gain and a decrease in heat loss. In addition, the temperature of the absorber plate increases in the axial direction. This increase is much steeper in the thermal entrance region than farther downstream. This behaviour shows that the heat transfer coefficient decreases with the axial distance, and agrees with other investigations. 12,13 Conversely, the temperature increase of the glass with axial distance is only slight except for case A 2, where the air flows between the absorber and the lower glass cover. To compare the performances of various corrugated plates at different flow rates, the equivalent diameter, or interplate spacing, is varied to illustrate its influence on the results. Figure 5 presents this effect when the air flow rate was kept constant at 0.03 kg s 1. When the interplate spacing increases, i.e. increasing the equivalent diameter, the thermal efficiency decreases for all arrangements. Increasing the interplate spacing decreases the flow velocity and, consequently, the heat transfer coefficient, which decreases the rate of heat extracted from the hot wall.

Design parameters in solar air heaters with corrugated plates

187

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Fig. 4. The variations of the temperatures of the glass cover and the absorber plate along the collector at mid-day for various flow rates and different flow arrangements of the solar air heater with a triangular plate.
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Fig. 5. Effect of interplate spacing on the performance characteristics for various arrangements of solar air heater with various types of absorber plate when Q = 0.03 kg s 1.

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M. M. Sorour, Z. A. Mottaleb

The average heat transfer coefficient, h, for model C 2 increased by 30 per cent when the equivalent diameter, D e, decreased by 48 per cent for CCP, by 28"5 per cent when D e decreased by 64 per cent for RCP and by 26 per cent when D e decreased by 60 per cent for TCP. This is due to the increased percentage of eddies in the flow passage for the triangular and rectangular absorber plates compared with the circular plate as D e decreases. However, in comparing various flow arrangements, it can be seen that C 2 always produced higher efficiencies than arrangements A 2 and B 2 although its equivalent diameter is larger. This is due to the fully developed section in the duct and the aided natural convection inclined surfaces which help in directing the hot fluid to the relatively cold glass covers in arrangements A 2 and B 2 and consequently heat is lost more rapidly. The three corrugated absorber plates were modified by sandwiching
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The effects o f flow rate on the performance characteristics for various arrangements o f solar air heater with different absorber plates.

Design parameters in solar air heaters with corrugated plates

189

these plates by two thin flat plates such that the air is guided through the absorber plate only. These corrugated plates were tested under various experimental conditions. Figure 6 presents a comparison between the modified arrangement D 2 with two glass covers and arrangement C2; other arrangements are not presented here for clarity and because a comparison with the highest performance is appropriate. The modified arrangement is generally less efficient than arrangement C 2, and the most significant percentage degradation in this model's performance is observed for the modified circular corrugated collector, MCCC. In fact, the MCCC had lower thermal efficiencies than the MRCC, which was not the case with the simple corrugated design. This modification was intended to increase the heat transfer area by conducting heat from the upper surface, and decrease the perpendicular flow area, consequently increasing the flow velocity. Thus it was intended to increase both contact area and heat transfer coefficient. However, this goal was not achieved due to the formation of eddies in the additional sharp corners which were formed in the flat plate-corrugated plate interface. In addition, poor thermal contact between the flat and corrugated plates will also reduce the efficiency. By comparing the results it appears that the eddies had more pronounced effects because, for low flow rates, the MRCC had higher thermal performances than the RCC.

CONCLUSIONS (1) Incorporating a corrugated absorber plate increases the thermal efficiency compared with that obtainable with a flat plate, at high flow rates only. Solar air heaters with circular corrugated absorber plates are most efficient and those with triangular plates are least efficient. Pumping the air beneath the absorber plate produced the highest performance compared with the other flow arrangements. Incorporating a corrugated absorber between the two metallic sheets is inefficient, especially at high flow rates. Double-glazing produced the best performances for all the flow arrangements and corrugated absorber plates.

(2) (3) (4) (5)

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M. M. Sorour, Z. A. Mottaleb
REFERENCES

1. A. Whillier, Black painted solar air heaters of conventional design, Solar Energy, 8(1) (1964), pp. 31 7. 2. D.J. Close, Solar air heaters for low and moderate temperature applications, Solar Energy, 7(3) (1963), pp. 117 24. 3. B. E. Cole-Appel and R. D. Hoberstroh, Performance of air-cooled flat solar collectors. Proceedings 'Sharing the Sun." Solar Technology in the 'Set'enties', August, 1976, ISES, Winnipeg, Manitoba, pp. 83-90. 4. K.A. Shockey, J. T. Pearson and D. P. Dewitt, Heat transfer characteristics of a back corrugated absorber surface for solar air collectors. Paper presented at ASME Winter Annual Meeting, Solar Energy Division, Washington DC,'November, 1981. 5. E. M. Sparrow, B. R. Baligu and S. V. Patanker, Forced convection heat transfer from a shrouded fin array with and without tip clearance, Journal o/' Heat Transfer (1978), pp. 572 9. 6. K . G . T . Hollands and E. C. Shewan, Optimization of flow passage geometry for solar air heating solar collectors, Sun II: Proceedings of the International Solar Energy SocieO', Sih'er Jubilee Congress, Pergamon Press, New York, 1979, pp. 302 7. 7. K.G.T. Hollands and E. C. Shewan, Optimization of flow passage geometry for air heating, plate type solar collectors. A S M E Journal o['Solar Energy Engineering, 103 (1981), pp. 323-30. 8. R. K. Shah and A. L. London, Laminar flow Jbrced confection in ducts, Academic Press, New York, 1978. 9. G. E. Schneider and B. L. Ledain, Fully developed laminar heat transfer in passages of triangular cross-section for applications to solar collector plate design (A1AA Paper No. 79-0974), Journal o['Energy, 5( 1) ( 198 I), pp. 15 21. 10. J. H. Watmuff, W. W. S. Charters and D. Proctor, Solar and wind induced external coefficient solar collectors, Comp. Int. Rer. d'Helliotechniquc (1977), p. 56. 11. B. E. Cole-Appel, G. O. G. L6f, L. E. Shaw and B.B. Fischer, The improvement of solar air collectors study and experimental research project. Final Report, DOE Contract No. Ey 76-C-04-3713, Solaron Corporation, Denver, USA, 1978. 12. M. R. Diab and J. T. Pearson, Heat transfer characteristics of a solar air heater incorporating a finned absorber, Proceedings of the Fourth International Conl~,rence on Mechanical Power Engineering, Cairo University, October, 1982. 13. S. R. Montgomery and P. Wibulswas, Laminar flow heat transfer for simultaneously developing velocity and temperature profiles in ducts of rectangular cross section, Applied Science Research, 18 (1967), pp. 247 59.