Optimization of enhancement of heat transfer on flat-plate solar collector through longitudinal vortex generator type delta-winglet

• Grant number: 17/02618-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2017
• End date: July 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Thermal Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Leandro Oliveira Salviano
• Grantee: Gustavo Estevo Felix
• Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rosana. Rosana , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Heating water for domestic and industrial environments is an activity that requires a higher amount of thermal energy, supplied either from burning gas/biomass or direct use of electricity. Nowadays, these conventional methods have greater resistance to their growth in response to inexorable increase of society demand. Therefore, the solar energy has emerged as a suitable renewable energy source for this application type, requiring permanent technology development on solar collector regarding its thermal efficiency in order to meet the application requirements. Overall, the main goal of this research project is provide the numerical simulation and optimization of heat transfer enhancement in the water flow inside tubes on flat-plate solar collector with active system and indirect single-phase flow, by longitudinal vortex generators type delta-winglet, at low Reynolds number (Re = 600). Currently, twisted taped device is a widely passive technique applied to enhancement the heat transfer inside the circular tubes used in flat-plate solar collector. Although this passive technique provides significant increase of heat transfer its high pressure drop penalty is a concern for pump system. On the other hands, longitudinal vortex generator applied on flat-plate solar collector is a promising alternative since its main characteristics is to provide significant increase of heat transfer on downstream with low pressure drop penalty. (AU)