Numerical analysis of thermo hydro-dynamics behavior of solar flat plate collector with square and V-cut twisted tape inserts

Abstract

Numerical analysis has been conducted for a solar collector with two circular pipes having semi-circular contact with absorber plate. The tubes are analyzed with and without the inclusion of twisted tape inserts of twist ratio Y = 3 and Y = 4. The comparison between the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of a plain tube to that fitted with the twisted tape inserts is done and validated against experimental results with good agreement. Additionally, helical twisted tape is modeled with square- and V-cut to analyze its influence on flow and heat transfer phenomenon. V-cut twisted tape inserts act as turbulence promoters, increasing fluid flow and inducing vortex-like motion. As a result, boundary layer around the absorber plate is disrupted with decrease in stagnation temperature, resulting in better heat transfer and more effective absorption and conversion of solar energy. The Nusselt number, friction factor, and heat transfer coefficient variation with the Reynolds number have been studied for the given heat fluxes. It is found that the Nusselt number of the fluid flowing in the plain tube is increased by 76.44% when the tube is fitted with twisted tape inserts. The pressure drop in the tube is found to increase with the presence of the twisted tapes. The average temperature along the length of the circular tube and absorber plate has also been reported. © 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.