Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 19 No 6 (2015): 1264 - 1273

 

 

 

THERMAL PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF STAGING EFFECT OF SOLAR THERMAL ABSORBER WITH CROSS DESIGN

 

(Analisis Prestasi Haba kepada Kesan Berperingkat Penyerap Haba Suria

dengan Reka Bentuk Bersilang)

 

Amir Abdul Razak¹*, Zafri Azran Abdul Majid², Mohd Hafidz Ruslan¹, Kamaruzzaman Sopian¹

 

¹Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI),

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

²Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences,

International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200 Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: amirrazak@outlook.com

 

 

Received: 9 March 2015; Accepted: 29 September 2015

 

 

Abstract

The type and shape of solar thermal absorber materials will impact on the operating temperature and thermal energy storage effect of a solar air thermal collector. For a standard flat-plate design, energy gain can be increased by expanding the thermal absorber area along the collector plane, subject to area limitation. This paper focuses on the staging effect of a metal hollow square rod absorber of aluminium, stainless steel, and a combination of the two with a cross design, for the heat gain and temperature characteristics of a solar air collector. Experiments were carried out with three cross design set-ups, with 30 minutes of heating and cooling, phase, respectively, under 485 W/m² solar irradiance value, and at a constant air speed at 0.38 m/s. One-set aluminium set-up delivered the highest output temperature of 41.8 ^oC, followed by two-sets aluminium and one aluminium set + one stainless steel set at 39.3 ^oC and 38.2 ^oC, respectively. The lowest peak temperature is recorded on three sets of the aluminium absorber at 35 ^oC. The bi-metallic set-up performed better than the two aluminium set-up where each set-up obtained a temperature drop against heat gain gradient value of -0.4186 ^oC/W and -0.4917 ^oC/W, respectively. Results concluded that by increasing the number of sets, the volume and surface areas of the absorber material are also increased, and lead to a decrease in peak temperature output for each increase of sets.

 

Keywords: solar air heater, solar thermal absorber, cross design absorber

 

Abstrak

Jenis dan bentuk solar bahan penyerap haba akan memberi kesan kepada suhu operasi dan haba kesan penyimpanan tenaga udara pengumpul haba suria. Untuk standard reka bentuk plat rata, penghasilan tenaga boleh ditingkatkan dengan memperluaskan kawasan penyerap haba di sepanjang satah pengumpul tetapi tertakluk kepada had kawasan. Makalah ini memberi tumpuan kepada kesan bertingkat logam berongga penyerap rod persegi aluminium, keluli tahan karat dan gabungan kedua-duanya dengan reka bentuk silang kepada peningkatan haba dan ciri-ciri suhu pemanas udara suria. Eksperimen dilakukan dengan tiga jenis reka bentuk silang dengan 30 minit pemanasan dan penyejukan fasa masing-masing pada 485 W/m² nilai sinaran suria dan pada kadar halaju udara berterusan 0.38 m/s. One-set aluminium set-up delivered the highest output temperature of 41.8 ^oC, followed by two-sets aluminium and one aluminium set + one stainless steel set at 39.3 ^oC and 38.2 ^oC, respectively. The lowest peak temperature is recorded on three sets of the aluminium absorber at 35 ^oC. Satu set aluminium mencapai suhu output tertinggi pada 41.8 ^oC, diikuti dengan dua set aluminium dan satu set aluminium + satu keluli tahan karat dengan masing-masing mencapai suhu 39.3 ^oC dan 38.2 ^oC. Suhu puncak terendah direkodkan pada tiga set penyerap aluminium pada 35 ^oC. Set dwi-logam menunjukkan prestasi yang lebih baik daripada dua set persediaan aluminium di mana setiap set mencapai penurunan suhu terhadap nilai peningkatan haba dengan petunjuk aras kecerunan masing-masing pada -0.4186 ^oC/W dan -0.4917 ^oC/W. Melalui hasil kajian, kesimpulan dibuat bahawa dengan meningkatkan bilangan set, jumlah dan permukaan bidang bahan penyerap juga meningkat dan menyebabkan pengurangan suhu output dan suhu puncak bagi setiap peningkatan set.

 

Kata kunci: pemanas udara suria, penyerap haba suria, penyerap reka bentuk silang

 

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