Thermal Performance of a Solar Water Heater by Optimizing Shape of Shell in Parallel Flow and Counter Flow Conditions

Thermal Engineering

In present investigation experimental analysis is performed in solar water heater with different mass flow rate, the observed value of exit temperature of water is compared with numerical model developed in CFD with optimization in flow pattern i.e. parallel flow and counter flow with optimizing shape of solar absorbing shell i.e. cylindrical shell in place of square shell to predict effective temperature distribution. further, In a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), the trial has been conducted on the temperature, for a solar water heater with square and cylindrical shell. In the CFD investigation it was assumed that, the flow of water is parallel flow and counter flow. This investigation was carried out on a mass flow rate 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 kg/s. When the desired temperature distribution was carried with parallel flow and counter flow with cylindrical shell it was found that; 1. The parallel flow in solar water heater has less capability of high water temperature at exit of solar water heater. 2. The counter flow configuration of flow pattern exhibits high amount water temperature at in solar water heater. 3. Whereas, in counter flow the mass flow rate of 0.04 kg /s have higher temperature distribution due to effective temperature distribution between tubes and solar radiation absorbing shell. 4. Thus, the cylindrical radiation absorbing shell has maximum exerts maximum temperature concentration on tube bundles of flowing water.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.