Title: Computational fluid dynamical analysis of turbulent flow in a channel equipped with double-pass solar air collector

Authors: Rachid Saim; Asma Abderrahim; Hakan F. Oztop; Said Abbdoui; Khaled Al-Salem

Addresses: Energetic and Applied Thermal Laboratory (ETAP), Technology Faculty, University of Abou Bekr Belkaid, BP 230 – 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria; Materials and Renewable Energies Research Unit (URMER), University of Abou Bekr Belkaid, BP 230 – 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria ' Energetic and Applied Thermal Laboratory (ETAP), Technology Faculty, University of Abou Bekr Belkaid, BP 230 – 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria; Materials and Renewable Energies Research Unit (URMER), University of Abou Bekr Belkaid, BP 230 – 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technology Faculty, Firat University, 23119 Elazig, Turkey ' IRTES-M3M – EA 7274, Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard, site de Sévenans, 90010 Belfort cedex, France ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: A numerical analysis is proposed to predict the thermal and flow field for turbulent flow in a double-pass solar collector. The conservation equations are solved by using finite volume method. The k-ω-SST turbulence model is used. The influence of the mass flow rate of air, which changes in range of 0.0139 kg/s and 0.062 kg/s, is chosen as the main parameter. The results show that the flow characteristics strongly depend on mass flow rate of air and the geometry of the double pass solar air collector.

Keywords: double pass solar collectors; forced convection; turbulent flow; computational fluid dynamics; CFD; finite volume method; FVM; turbulence modelling; mass flow rate; air flow; solar energy; solar power.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2015.072779

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2015 Vol.15 No.6, pp.396 - 402

Published online: 03 Nov 2015 *

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