COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS STUDY OF THE PERFORMANCE OF SOLAR AIR HEATER

As part of the ongoing efforts to promote accessible and sustainable green energy, renewable sources have become increasingly prevalent in both commercial and residential settings. Solar energy represents a promising form of residential power generation. Where photovoltaic (PV) solar panels address the search for renewable energy sources through the conversion of solar radiation into electricity, solar air heaters (SAH) can approach the problem from a different direction: reducing the heating demand on a building by directly heating air using solar radiation, thereby reducing electrical energy usage. In this research, we employ computational fluid dynamics analysis to determine the preferential design of SAHs. Our focus lies in the internal geometry of the SAH, where heat exchange occurs between the hot panel and cold air flowing over it. By using Solidworks as the design and simulation tool, we first design SAHs with varying internal geometries. Then the simulations are conducted to explore the effects of the internal geometry on the flow and heat transfer characteristics. Further analysis shows that the preferred design of a SAH could be achieved by combining modifications to the collector and implementing structural variations. An efficiency improvement of nearly 470% was found to be achievable in the models tested. This research offers guidance for future optimization of the internal design of next-generation SAHs and further promotes sustainable building practices.