Improving the Performance of the Solar Air Collector by Adding Metal Cylinders

Abstract

 This research aims to conduct an experimental study of the performance of the solar air collector and the effect of using cylindrical boxes to increase the heat exchange surface with the air and thus improve the efficiency of the collector. The experimental research results showed that using obstacles in the form of cylindrical boxes leads to a greater increase in the air temperature at the outlet of the collector compared to the simple air collector with an absorbing plate, thus improving the efficiency of the collector.                                                                                                                             

     The experimental results showed that the use of metal cylinders in the solar air collector led to improving the thermal performance of the collector, and thus increasing the amount of heat given off by it, as the collector equipped with cylinders in checkerboard arranged gave the largest amount of heat, which increased by 50.94W compared to cylinders in linear arranged and by 118.86W compared to the collector without cylinders and the highest efficiency was obtained from the collector equipped with linear cylinders 76.09%, while the collector equipped with checkerboard cylinders 85.78% and the flat collector without cylinders 63.16% on July 10 at 1:00 PM.                                             

     The effect of temperature change with time gave the highest temperature obtained from the receiver equipped with cylinders in linear arranged 56.8ºC and the highest temperature from the receiver equipped with cylinders in checkerboard arranged 60.1ºC, while the  flat receiver  without cylinders 52.4ºC on July 10 at 1:00 PM.