Review of developments on flat plate solar collectors for heat transfer enhancements using phase change materials and reflectors

This article focussed on the developments made on flat plate solar collectors (FPSCs) for heat transfer enhancements (HTE) using phase change materials (PCM) and reflectors. The article discusses the effect of integration of FPSCs with PCM and reflectors for HTE. Out of the various geometries used for HTE, integration of FPSCs with PCM and reflectors is efficient and cost effective design. PCM act as thermal storage batteries and result in escalation of efficiency of FPSCs. The reflectors integrated with solar water heat (SWH) or solar air heater (SAH) enhances the effective solar radiation capturing area. The radiation incident on the reflectors falls on the absorber plate after reflection and escalates the quantity of solar radiation absorbed. In this article, experimental studies on HTE of FPSCs are reviewed. The primary purpose of this article is to review different investigations in which various PCM and reflectors have been used to enhance heat transfer and propose a configuration for optimum performance. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Second International Conference on Aspects of Materials Science and Engineering (ICAMSE 2021).