Open Access

ARTICLE

EFFECT OF ABSORBER DESIGN ON CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER IN A FLAT PLATE SOLAR COLLECTOR: A CFD MODELING

E. Flilihi^a,† , E. H. Sebbar^a, D. Achemlal^a, T. EL Rhafiki^a, M. Sriti^b, E. Chaabelasri^c

a Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Engineering Sciences Laboratory, BP.1223, Taza, Morocco
b Moulay Ismail University, ENSAM Engineering School, Energy Department, Marjane 2, BP 15290, Al Mansour Meknes, Morocco
c Mohamed First University, Faculty of Sciences, PTPME Laboratory, BP 717, Oujda, Morocco
† Corresponding author. Email: elyazid_flilihi@yahoo.fr

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer 2022, 18, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.5098/hmt.18.39

Abstract

In this paper, we made a numerical simulation of convective heat transfer in a rectangular section pipe of a air flat plate solar collector using three forms of the absorber plate namely, simple shape, rectangular-shape, and half circle-shape. The flow is considered laminar and stationary, where the heat exchange between the absorber plate and the fluid takes place in useful area. The computer code in fluid dynamics, the fluent, is applied to integrate the governing equations on each control volume. A detailed description of the fluid flow and heat transfer in the rectangular channel was made. Several simulation were carried out in order to determine the influencing parameters allowing better performances of the collector and ensuring a good homogeneity of the temperature at the exit of the channel. The obtained results showed that the lows mass flow rates of the air increase the average outlet temperature. Also, the use of the second configuration of the absorber (rectangular shape) increases the velocity of the air at the downstream of the channel and promotes more the thermal homogeneity at the outlet of the channel.

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Keywords

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