CFD MODELING OF OPERATING PROCESSES OF A SOLAR AIR HEATER IN ANSYS FLUENT

Rapid development of the technologies of use of renewable energy sources in the recent decade has opened up prospects for satisfying our society′s ever growing needs for fuel and power resources. In the present work, the author has shown results of investigation into the thermal and aerodynamic characteristics of a solar air heater. A computer model whose adequacy has been confi rmed using experimental data was developed in the ANSYS Fluent software product. It has been determined that for the end of calendar autumn, the operating effi ciency of the solar air heater is the highest at the angle of inclination of the absorption surface to the earth α = 60o . The dependence of the value of heating of air in the solar heater during daylight hours has been determined in the physical and computer experiment; it has been established that for the city of Samara (GMT + 4) the maximum air heating is observed in the interval between 13.00 and 14.00. The infl uence of transverse ribs on the heat exchange between the light-absorbing surface and the air has been shown. A curvilinear shape of the temperature contour is formed in the immediate vicinity of the ribs due to the formation of vortices and reverse-current zones.
   
Author:  D. I. Pashchenko
Keywords:  ANSYS, CFD modeling, renewable energy sources, solar air heater, energy efficiency
Page:  73