Experimental investigations on solar flat plate collector by changing geometry of fin using CFD - a review

Abstract

Sun is inexhaustible source of energy due to this it is more interesting and reliable in association with energy storage system. Sun radiates 5×10 15 kWh energy per annum, so energy incidents 4-7 kWh per m 2 on an average area depends on location of site. Fins are the extended surface which increase the heat transfer rate. It is most commonly used in heat exchanger device such as car radiator, Computer CPU heat sink and hydrogen fuel cell etc. Fins increase area of heat transfer in cooling and heating application. Lots of experimentation has been done to improve the heat transfer rate of solar water heater by adding fins of helical, rectangle, circular, trapezoidal section as well as twisted shape. In his paper we did experimental investigation on Flat plate collector solar water heater raiser tube with and without fin. Also investigation on Raiser tube with increasing area of contact of fin such as raiser tube with standard fin (90° area of contact), inverted raiser tube with standard fin, raiser tube with modified fin (270° area of contact) and inverted raiser tube with modified fin. As the surface area increase heat transfer from fins also get increases. Comparing the results of these five different fins it is found that by increasing the area of contact between the raiser tube and fin heat transfer get increases. Also inverted raiser tube gives more water output temperature than standard raiser tube. So implementation of fin in solar flat plate collector (FPC) is also most promising techniques that increase the heat transfer rate and increasing area of contact between fin and raiser tube resulting enhancement in water output temperature through raiser tube.