CFD ANALYSIS OF HEAT TRANSFER AND FLUID FLOW IN FLAT

PLATE NATURAL CONVECTION SOLAR AIR HEATER

Demiss Alemu Amibe, Alemu Tiruneh
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract
A parametric study of flat plate natural convection solar air heater was conducted using CFD Analysis.
A solar air heater with single glass cover flat plate solar collector with air gap is selected for the study
under the climatic condition of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study aims at finding optimum inclination
angles taking into account the seasonal variation, finding optimum air gap depth, and characterizing the
effect of incident radiation magnitude and ambient temperature on the collector output. For modeling
the system, the governing continuity, momentum and energy equations were considered in multi
dimensions. The coupled governing equations were simplified by neglecting effect of density in the
continuity equation and by approximating the density difference in momentum equation as a linear
function of temperature. The modeling was conducted by the CFD Software Fluent. By varying the
inclination angle, it was found that the optimum inclination angle that gives maximum energy gain with
better mass flow rate and temperature rise was 450 for November while it was 150 for May. The two
angles of inclinations represent the two extreme seasons of the year. It was also found that a collector
with 50mm channel depth yields better exit velocity and temperature and maximum energy gain but
comparable with 60 mm and 70mm depth for 2 m long collector. The outputs of the simulation are
comparable with the already available reported experimental results found in literatures.

1. Introduction
It is apparent that solar energy has got two major advantages over fossil fuels. The first is in the fact that it is
renewable and the second is it does not emit green house gases and any other pollutants to the environment.
Solar heating of outdoor air is considered as cost effective alternative to meet process heat demand of drying
(Duffie, and Beckman, 1991) This paper focuses on parametric study of natural convection flat plate solar air
heater. Natural convection flat plate solar air heater is a heater where by the flow of air through the rectangular
air channel is derived by the buoyancy force, which in turn comes from the temperature difference between the
heated absorber plate and the ambient temperature. Even though the main problem of such heater is the low
induced mass flow rate, it has got acceptance in the application of small scale food drying. Moreover, the
maintenance requirement and operating cost of the collector is almost nil as there are no moving mechanical
devices such as a fan. In this heater, the flow rate and collector outlet temperature are dependent on different
parameters such as inclination angle, air gap, incident radiation flux, material properties, absorber type and
others.
The objective of this work is to find optimum inclination angles taking into account the seasonal variation, find
optimum air gap depths, and study the effect of the magnitude of incident radiation and ambient temperature on
collector output.
Several works have been done and published on solar air heaters with little emphasis on multidimensional
computational analysis of natural convection solar air heaters (Varun and Siddhartha, 2010; Varun et al. 2009;
Pakdaman et al., 2011; Tiris et al., 1994; Choudhury et al, 1985; Macedo, 1978). Most of the works focus on
either experimental investigation of specific type of solar air heater or dyer or optimization of forced convection
air heater using one dimensional model and optimization algorithm. Gao et al. (2001) studied using
computational model natural convection between sine wave absorber and glass cover and determined the
convective heat transfer coefficient by varying temperature difference between the absorber and glass cover for
different geometric configurations. The rare literature that reports optimum channel depth (air gap) for
maximizing heat transfer of a natural convection solar air heater is that of Bansal et. al. (1999). The near
optimum duct depths of 50-75mm were recommended for maximum solar energy collection for air heater of
about 1m length.
An optimization of a fixed collector tilt angles, with respect to maximum amount of total isolation on south
facing collector surface has been done by several researchers (Kern and Harris, 1974; Manes, and Lanetz, 1983;
Pericle and Koronakis,1986) for different places. Kern and Harris (1974) recommended that for small
installation, the very simple relationship that the tilt should be equal to the latitude holds. Although, it may
deviate from the latitude up to r 15 0 without significant loss in total solar gain (Soponronnarit,1 995).
However information regarding collector tilt angle optimization for natural convection solar air heaters is not
available in literatures. For such heaters, not only the radiation incident on the absorber and exit air temperature
are dependent on inclination angle, but also the flow rate that is induced by buoyancy effect.
Although the effect of turbulence as the fluid passes through the channel is important, In case of natural
convection through a channel, for with heated surface facing downwards, the flow remains laminar throughout
(Bansal et. al. 1999), which is the case of the present study.

2. Mathematical Model
The heat transfer and air flow in solar air heater is described by flow and energy equations. The general basic
governing equations in 3D for natural convection problem are:
Continuity equation:

wU &
 ’ ˜ U v  0 (eqn. 1)
wt
Naiver Stokes equations:

w
U v&   (v& ˜ ’) U v& & P & &
’p  P ’ 2v  ’(’ ˜ v )  U g (eqn. 2)
wt 3
Energy equation:
w &
( U E )  ’ ˜ U E  p v ’ ˜ keff ’T  S h (eqn. 3)
wt

S h in the energy equation also includes radiation source terms.

&
The radiative transfer equation for an absorbing, emitting, and scattering medium at position r in the direction
&
s using the Discrete Ordinate method is given as

& & & & & V T 4 V s 4S & & & &

 
’ ˜ r , s  s   a  V s I r , s  an 2  ³ I ( r , s c) ) ( s ˜ s c ) d : c (eqn. 4)
S 4S 0

In case of the natural convection, it is the variation of density (ȡ) that gives rise to the flow. The temperature
field is dependent on the flow and all the above equation are coupled through the variation of density( U ).The
Boussinesq approximation simplifies the coupled governing equations with the following two important
conclusions.
ƒ The effect density variation in the continuity equations may be neglected.
ƒ The density difference, which causes the flow due to an interaction between the gravitational body force
and the hydrostatic pressure gradient, can be approximated as a linear function of temperature.
The instantaneous thermal efficiency of the collector is

Q u
K th,i (eqn. 5)
Aa I

Where the useful net energy gain by the air is defined as

Q u c p m (Te  Ti ) (eqn.6)

The cumulative efficiency of the collector can be expressed as:

t
³ Q u dt
0 (eqn.7)
K th , c
t
A a ³ I dt
0

3. Computational Model
FLUENT uses finite volume method for the discretization of the governing equations. Finite volume method is a
discretization technique based on the conservation of a specific physical quantity, such as mass, momentum or
energy. The integral form of the continuity, momentum and energy equations over the domain for laminar steady
state natural convection gives:
&
³: ’ ˜ v d: 0 (eqn. 8)

& & 2 & P & &

³: ((v ˜ ’) U v  ’p  P ’ v  ’(’ ˜ v )  U g ) d: 0 (eqn. 9)
3
&
³ :  ’ ˜ U E  p  v  ’ ˜ k ’T  S h  d: 0 (eqn. 10)

By discretizing the domain into finite volumes and approximating the integrals numerically over the finite
volumes, sets of systems of algebraic equation are generated.

Fig. 1. Geometry of flat plate collector for air heating

Fig. 2. Collector orientation and dimensions considered for simulation

A three dimensional flat plate solar air heater is modeled with the help of FLUENT to obtain realistic results by
accounting side effects. The collector model used for parametric investigation is the flat plate solar air heater
with still air gap and transparent cover shown in Fig. 1. 2mx1m collector geometry was considered, as it is the
most common dimension for flat plate collectors. Different models were generated by varying the air channel
depth. The model is composed of three linked domains: glass domain, enclosed air between glass and absorber,
the air in the absorber channel. The two fluid domains are separated by a surface of finite thickness. For the air
passage, air gap depths of 30mm, 50mm, 60mm, 70mm and 100mm were considered. The absorber considered in
the model was an aluminum sheet of l mm thickness with its sun-facing surface painted black. The single glass
cover of the collector has a thickness of 4mm. The collector was insulated with 50mm thick fiber glass insulation
material at the side and from beneath. Addis Ababa, (9.020 latitude, 38.420 longitude) was selected for inputting
the climate data for the simulation

5. Results and Discussion

The steady state simulation were conducted on May at solar noon thinking that May can be a representative for
six months of the year namely, March, April, June, July, August, and September. The incident radiation on
collector surface Vs inclination angle for the above months shows nearly the same pattern with the peak value in
the range of 0 to 100 inclinations from the horizontal as shown in Fig. 2. To account for the seasonal variation,
simulations were conducted for the month of November varying the inclination angle, which is thought to be
representative of four months namely, October, December, January and February. For the above five months, the
incident radiation is maximum in the range of 200-350 from the horizontal.
Transient analysis was conducted for the representative day of May for a total duration of nine hours with
reasonable heat gain (8:30.-17:30) for three air gap depths of 50mm, 60mm and 70mm based on the results of the
steady state analysis to select the optimum air gap depth.

5.1 Inclination Angle Optimization

Two representative months were selected to see the effect of inclination angles on collector performance for
Addis Ababa, and the results are presented. The simulations for May were done for 8 different inclinations angles
from the horizontal.
Fig. 3 shows that a sharp increase in mass flow for inclination angles up to 15o due to an increase of the
component of buoyancy in the direction of the channel as inclination increases. The flow rate decreases beyond
45 o, because of a very low incident radiation at high inclination angles. Fig. 4 shows a sharp decrease in
temperature as inclination increases up to 20 o because of a decrease in incident radiation on the collector surface
and an increase in mass flow rate as inclination increases.
Fig. 2. : Variation of incident radiation on surfaces with inclination angles for different months at noon
(for south facing collector, Addis Ababa)

Fig. 3. Variation of exit mass flow rate and exit average velocity of air with inclination angle for different channel depths. (May)
(For south facing collector, Addis Ababa).
 Fig. 4. Variation of exit temperature of air with inclination angle for different channel depths. (May)
(For south facing collector, Addis Ababa).

Fig. 5. Variation of net energy gain with inclination angle for different channel depths. (May)
(For south facing collector, Addis Ababa).
 Fig. 6. Variation of net energy gain with inclination angle for different channel depths. (November)
( For south facing collector at Addis Ababa).
Fig. 5 displays that the net energy gains at 15o and 25o inclination become maximum. It also shows that the net
energy gain in drops at 20o inclination, which has been caused by pockets of reverse flows at the outlet boundary
as shown in Fig. 7. The possible existence of such phenomena for a one sided heated channel was found out
experimentally on vertical channels by Sparrow et. al.(1984) and on inclined channels by Azevedo and Sparrow
(1985). Beyond inclination of 20o, the reverse flow vanishes increasing the effective flow area. As a result the
velocity and mass flow rate increase. Comparing the energy gain at 15 o and 25 o inclination, the energy gain at
15o inclination is accompanied with significant temperature change. For simulations done on November, 45 o
inclination angle gives maximum energy gain as
shown in Fig. 6.

Glass and gap 5.2 Channel Depth Optimization

The objective of optimizing the channel depth is
to maximize the overall outputs of the collector
or conditions necessary for specific applications,
Reverse
which are in the case of drying: the exit air
o
Fig. 7. Reverse Flow at outlet for 5 inclination temperature, exit velocity and net energy gain.
Hence, the channel depth was optimized
considering transient analysis of solar heaters of 50mm, 60mm and 70mm depth on a representative day of May
for a total duration of nine hours (local time starts from 8:30-17:30), so that the simulation results can correspond
to actual drying conditions. The ambient air temperature and global radiation data were taken from metrological
data for May 18.The diffuse radiation is predicted using empirical relations.

Fig. 8. Variation of exit temperature of natural convection air heater ( 2mx1m) for different channel depth during the day
obtained by transient CFD analysis (For south facing collector at Addis Ababa in May).

Fig. 9. Variation of exit average velocity of natural convection air heater ( 2mx1m) for different channel depth during the day.
obtained by transient CFD analysis (For south facing collector at Addis Ababa in May).
 Fig. 10. Variation of net energy gain for different channel depth during the day obtained by transient CFD
analysis (For south facing collector at Addis Ababa in May)

The results shown in Fig. 8 indicate that, 50mm channel depth can yield 100C temperature rise from maximum
ambient temperature (Tmax=24.50C) for about 6 and1/2 hours with a relatively large average velocity of exit air
above 0.3m/s. The average velocity at the outlet of the collector is shown in Fig, 9. The net heat gain that can be
achieved by the collector with the three channel depths is comparable as shown in Fig. 10. Therefore, it can be
concluded that a collector depth of 50mm is preferable in the applications like drying, as it meets temperature
and velocity requirements over wide range of time while yielding slightly higher heat gain. The cumulative
efficiency for the total period of this collector was 21.3 %.

6. Conclusion
A parametric study was done on natural convection flat plate solar air heater with aid of three dimensional CFD
model for steady state and transient analysis, and it is found that inclination angles at or around 150 are
recommended in summer month and higher inclination angles around 450 are recommended in winter month for
areas around Addis Ababa. The air gap depth of 50mm is found to give better outputs in terms of high
temperature rise, average velocity, and net energy gain.

Nomenclature

Aa - Absorber or cover area

cp - Specific heat of air at constant pressure
E - Energy
&
g - Gravitational force per unit mass of the fluid
 I - Radiation intensity,
k eff - Effective thermal conductivity.
m - Mass flow rate of air
n - Refractive index
p - Static pressure
Qu - Useful thermal energy gain
&
r - Position vector
s - Path length
&
s - Direction vector
&
s c - Scattering direction vector
S h - Volumetric heat source
T - Temperature
Te - Exit temperature of air
Ti - Inlet temperature of air
&
v - Velocity vector (vxi +vyj+vzk, in Cartesian coordinates)
Greek
D - Absorption coefficient
D  V s - Opacity of a medium
ȕ - Inclination angle from horizontal
) - Phase function
K th,i - Instantaneous thermal efficiency of the collector
K th,cu - Cumulative thermal efficiency of the collector
P - Dynamic viscosity
U - Density
Vs - scattering coefficient
V - Stefan-Boltzmann constant
: - Solid angle
: - Domain

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