Investigation of Performance of Solar Flat and Curved Plate Collectors through Numerical Simulations

Luqman Ahmed Pirzada; Xiaoli Wu; Qaiser Ali; Asif Khateeb

doi:10.22581/muet1982.2101.06

Luqman Ahmed Pirzada College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou, China.
Xiaoli Wu College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou, China.
Qaiser Ali College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.
Asif Khateeb College of Internet of Things, Changzhou, Hohai University, China.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22581/muet1982.2101.06

Abstract

Solar energy is radiant light as a form of thermal heat energy which can be obtained and used by means of a variety of solar apparatus. As apparatus the flat and curved plate solar collector is specifically designed for assembling solar energy as a solar water heater system. The designing potency of this collector lone can generate medium level hot water from radiant sunlight source via absorbed plates. Standard type flat and curved plates solar collector plates are mostly used in remote coldest regions of the world where hot water is consumed for commercial and domestic purposes. These types of solar collector Plates can cheaply be manufactured compared to other solar panels like solar Shingles, Polycrystalline Solar Panels, Monocrystalline Solar Panels, and Thin Film Solar Panels. For future work, this proposed pre-design is recommended for fabrication. A numerical study was carried-out on eight city locations in China by tracing their horizontal and vertical longitudinal, latitudinal lines noting the date, time and sunlight feeding of temperatures in the Celsius scale with the help of simulation and modeling tools like CFD, ANSYS FLUENT software, mesh geometry tools, and by using the Navier-Stokes and Continuity equations by fluid flow discharge rate, mass flow, water temperature and dropping of temperature, radiation working mechanisms, dimensions of water flowing tubes and absorber plates, density, the velocity of water as the working fluid, the viscosity of water in a cold and hot state as a process of Pre-design. Work also focuses on the comparison between flat plate collector and curved plate collector radiant sunlight absorption, As end result it is found the Curved plate collector produces 22% more elevated heat of outgoing water than flat plate collector.