This document summarizes a study on improving the thermal performance of a solar air heater (SAH) using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. Rectangular fins were placed on the absorber plate of the SAH to increase surface area. CFD simulations were conducted using ANSYS on a conventional SAH and one with fins. Results showed outlet air temperature was increased by 3% and efficiency improved with the addition of fins. The study aims to enhance heat transfer and efficiency of SAHs through surface modification of the absorber plate.

1. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF SOLAR AIR HEATER USING
CFD SIMULATION
Presented By
Emandi Dileep Kumar (19135A0314)
Bachelor of Technology In Mechanical Engineering
Under The Guidance Of
Dr. V. SIREESHA
Asst. Professor. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2. ABSTRACT
•Solar energy has emerged as one of the alternatives to conventional sources of energy.
•Solar air heaters are one of the important devices to utilize solar energy. It is an important
device to convert solar energy into heat energy economically. But poor heat transfer coefficient
is one of the major problems in solar air heater.
•This experimental work has been carried out to improve the thermal performance of solar air
heater with rectangular fins placed on the absorber plate.
•Experimental results have been compared with the performance of conventional solar air heater
without any projecting bodies. An improvement in efficiency and outlet temperature of air of
SAH has been recorded.
•CFD simulation using ANSYS has been carried out and validate with experimental results.

3. LITERATURE REVIEW
Many researchers tried to improve the performance with various configurations of
fins on absorber plate.
•Abuşka and Şevik have conducted experiments to investigate the energy,
economic, and environmental analysis of SAHs which are smooth and roughened
by V-groove protrusions arranged made of copper and aluminum materials.
•Behura et al. investigated the performance of SAH of three side glass covers with
three side artificially roughened collectors.
•Sharma and Kalamkar carried out an experiments and numerical investigation
under forced convective heat transfer in solar air heater provided with thin ribs.

4. LITERATURE REVIEW
•Singh et al. carried out an experimental investigation for solar air heater,
artificially roughened with multiple arc shape.
•Gawande et al. carried out an experimental investigation for solar air heater
with artificially roughened with reverse L-shaped ribs.
•Alam and Kim compared performance of solar air heater roughened with conical
shaped and spherical shaped surfaces provided on the absorber plate.
•Jin et al. have carried out a numerical investigation of solar air heater roughened
with multi V-shaped ribs on the absorber plate.

5. INTRODUCTION
• Solar air heaters (SAHs) are major component of solar energy utilization system
which absorb the incoming solar radiation, converts it into thermal energy, and
transfers the heat energy to a fluid flowing through the absorber plate. Solar air
heaters have been employed to deliver heated air at low to moderate
temperatures for space heating, crop drying and other industrial applications.
The lower thermal efficiency is main drawback of SAH.
• The fin bodies embedded with absorber is seen rarely. In this project, SAH with
rectangular shaped fins embedded with absorber plate has been critically
compared with SAH with plain absorber plate for thermal efficiency. The results
obtained through CFD analysis using ANSYS tool have been compared and
validated.

6. INTRODUCTION (Cont..)
• Two types of absorber plates; plain absorber plate (without bodies, Case-I), and
absorber plate with rectangular fin bodies are used (Case-II). The absorber
plates are made of copper. Single glazing glass in both the collectors of standard
size of 5 mm.
•The rectangular fins have width, height and length of across the flow of air are
2mm, 45mm and 1000mm respectively and with 18 mm gap between two
corresponding fins.
•The length and width of rectangular inlet & outlet air duct are 500 mm and
1000mm respectively.
•The wind velocity is 4.82m/s .(10.8mph)
•The location is taken as Visakhapatnam with latitude : 17°41'12.54"N and
longitude : 83°13'6.53"E.

7. INTRODUCTION (Cont..)
There are three ways to improve the efficiency of SAH.
By changing the type of material of absorber plate .
By changing the type of fluid flow through Solar Air Heater.
By changing the Surface Area of the absorber plate.
In this project work we concentrated on changing surface area and material of
Solar Air heater.

8. Material Properties
S.No For Copper Value
1 Thermal Conductivity 386W/mK
2 Melting Point 1083°C
3 Boiling Point 2595°C
4 Density 8.96g/cm³

9. MODELLING USING ANSYS R22 TOOL
A 3-dimensional fluid domain models have been prepared using ANSYS R22 design
modeler for Case-I and Case-II as shown in Figure 3 (a) and 3 (b). Meshing is done
for both the cases with given boundary conditions .
The boundary conditions applied are inlet is defined as velocity flow inlet while
outlet is considered as pressure outlet. The top surface is single glazing selected as
glass material and subjected to mixed type heat transfer. In the condition of mixed
type heat transfer both convection and radiation are considered. The bottom
surface is absorber selected as Copper material and opaque surface. The bottom
surface is assumed to be constant heat flux. Side surface is selected as of wood
material and opaque surface.

10. FLAT PLATE
500
250
2
50
All Dimensions are in mm

11. Flate Plate (isometric view)

12. Plate with Rectangular Fins
500
250
10
2
45 50
2
All Dimensions are in mm

13. Plate with Rectangular Fins (isometric
view)

14. OBSERVATIONS AFTER SIMULATION
The following images shows the pressure rendering for both the flat plate and the rectangular
finned plate.
Flat Plate Rectangular Finned Plate

15. OBSERVATIONS AFTER SIMULATION
The following images show the temperature rendering for both the flat plate and the
rectangular finned plate.
Flat Plate Rectangular Finned Plate

16. RESULTS :
FLAT PLATE VS RECTANGULAR FIN PLATE
Flat Plate Rectangular Fins-Plate

17. RESULTS:

18. CONCLUSION:
• The modelling and analysis of Solar Air Heater is performed using ANSYS with standard
dimensions and properties applied to it.
• The Solar Air Heater is designed in two geometries like Flat Plate and Flat Plate with rectangular
fins with absorber plate material as copper.
• Inlet temperature of SAH for Flat Plate absorber is 306.15k at 3:00pm and outlet temperature is
314.223k. (Location = Visakhapatnam Latitude 17.6868N,83.2185E).
• Inlet temperature of SAH for Flat Plate absorber with is 306.15k at 3:00pm and outlet
temperature is 315.423k. (Location = Visakhapatnam Latitude 17.6868N,83.2185E).
• Finally, we conclude that Solar Air Heater with Rectangular fins show 3% more efficiency than
flat plate.

19. REFERENCES
1. Mohamad AA, “High efficiency solar air heater”, Solar Energy, vol. 60 (2), 1997, pp. 71–6.
2. Mesut Abuşkaa, Seyfi Şevikb, “Energy, exergy, economic and environmental (4E) analyses of flat-plate and V-groove
solar air collectors based on aluminium and copper”. Solar Energy, vol. 158, 2017, pp. 259–277.
3. Sanjay K. Sharma, Vilas R. Kalamkar, “Experimental and numerical investigation of forced convective heat transfer in
solar air heater with thin ribs”. Solar Energy, vol. 147, 2017, pp. 277–291.
4. Dongxu Jin, Manman Zhang, Ping Wang, Shasha Xu, “Numerical investigation of heat transfer and fluid flow in a solar
air heater duct with multi V-shaped ribs on the absorber plate”, Energy Procedia, vol. 89, 2015, pp. 178-190.
5. Arun Kumar Behura, Sachindra Kumar Rout, Himanshu Pandya, Ashiwini Kumar, “Thermal analysis of three sides
artificially roughened solar air Heaters”, Energy Procedia, vol. 109, 2017, pp. 279–285.

20. THANK YOU