Sustainable Energy and Artificial Intelligence

Investigation of Performance Improvement in a Solar Air Heater Equipped with Impinging Jets: A Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mehdi Ashja 1
Ghanbar Ali Sheikhzadeh 1
Abolfazl Fattahi 1
Najmeh Hajialigol 2

1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

2 Mechanical Engineering Department, Hamedan University of Technology, Hamedan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.61186/seai.2410-1013
Abstract
With the continuous advancement of human civilization, the demand for energy has significantly increased, leading to a heightened need for energy resources. Effectively harnessing solar energy, as one of the most promising sources of energy, is crucial today. Among various applications, solar water heaters have gained widespread adoption, prompting researchers to focus on enhancing their efficiency. This study investigates the use of impinging jets to improve the performance of solar water heaters, numerically, to examine the impact of impinging jets positioned at the absorber plate. A total of 160 configurations were analyzed, assessing the effects of Reynolds number, turbulence intensity, jet diameter, and jet height on the Nusselt number. Operating within a Reynolds number range of 10,000 to 25,000, the results indicate that the PEC increases up to sixfold, while the Nusselt number rise as much as ninefold compared to conventional heaters without impinging jets. The highest cooling effect on the absorber plate, associated with an increase in the Nusselt number, is observed at a Reynolds number of 25,000, achieving a Nusselt number of 495.6. Furthermore, increasing the jet height to half the height of the cooling channel yielded significant performance improvements.

Highlights

  • Highest Nusselt number of 495.44 achieved.
  • Minimum friction factor observed with Re=25,000, TI=5%, and jet diameter of 0.156.
  • PEC reached 5.82 with Re=25,000, TI=5%, and maximum diameter ratios.
  • Increasing Reynolds number from 10,000 to 25,000 improved Nusselt by 118.2%.
  • Changing height ratio from min to max boosted Nusselt by 85.7%, friction factor 33%.

Keywords

Solar Water Heater
Impinging Jets
Numerical Simulation
Hydraulic-Thermal Performance
Subjects
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Sustainable Energy and Artificial Intelligence
Volume 1, Issue 1
Winter 2025
Pages 51-66

  • Receive Date 09 October 2024
  • Revise Date 07 November 2024
  • Accept Date 17 November 2024
  • First Publish Date 17 November 2024

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