Sains Malaysiana 47(5)(2018): 1061–1067

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4705-24

 

Energy, Exergy and Efficiency Analysis of a Flat Plate Solar Collector Used as Air Heater

(Analisis Tenaga, Eksergi dan Kecekapan Pengukur Solar Plat Rata yang Digunakan sebagai Pemanas Air)

 

MANSOOR KHAN KHATTAK¹, MUHAMMAD HANIF^1*, MAAZULLAH KHAN², MUHAMMAD RAMZAN¹ & ABDURAB³

 

¹Department of Agricultural Mechanization, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, 25130, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

 

²Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture, 25130 Peshawar, Pakistan

 

³Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, 25130 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

 

Received: 3 April 2017/Accepted: 14 November 2017

 

ABSTRACT

Air heating by solar collectors is renewable technology providing hot air for different purposes. The present research emphasizes on analysis of energy, exergy and efficiency of a flat plate solar air heater. The analysis model was tested on five different air mass flow rates of 0.5 (Natural), 1.31, 2.11, 2.72 and 3.03 kgs^-1 under three different tilt angles of 25, 35 (Recommended) and 50o. The data was replicated three times making a total of 45 treatments. A two factorial completely randomized design was used to find if there is any significant difference among the treatments. The results showed that the solar collector gave better performance at air mass flow of 3.03 kgs^-1 under tilt of 35^o. At maximum air mass flow rate of 3.03 kgs^-1and optimum tilt angle of 35o the maximum energetic efficiency of 51%, while minimum exergetic efficiency of 24% and maximum overall efficiency of 71% were recorded. It was concluded that to get maximum thermal efficiencies of 71% from flat plate solar collector used as an air heater must be operated at high air mass flow rates of 3.03 kgs^-1under 35^o tilt angle at Peshawar, Pakistan.

 

Keywords: Efficiency; energy; exergy; flat plate solar collector

 

ABSTRAK

Pemanasan udara oleh pengumpul suria merupakan teknologi yang boleh diperbaharui yang menyediakan udara panas untuk tujuan berbeza. Penyelidikan yang terkini menekankan tentang analisis tenaga, eksergi dan kecekapan plat rata pemanas udara solar. Model analisis diuji pada lima kadar aliran jisim udara yang berbeza iaitu 0.5 (semula jadi), 1.31, 2.11, 2.72 dan 3.03 kgs^-1 di bawah tiga sudut kecondongan 25, 35 (disyorkan) dan 50o. Data uji kaji diulang sebanyak tiga kali merangkumi 45 rawatan secara total. Reka bentuk dua rawak faktorial digunakan untuk mencari perbezaan yang signifikan antara rawatan. Keputusan uji kaji menunjukkan bahawa pengumpul suria memberikan prestasi yang lebih baik pada aliran jisim udara 3.03 kgs^-1 di bawah kecondongan 35^o. Pada kadar aliran jisim maksimum udara 3.03 kgs^-1 dan sudut kecondongan optimum 35o, keputusan kecekapan energetik maksimum ialah 51%, manakala kecekapan eksergi ialah minimum 24% dan kecekapan keseluruhan maksimum pula ialah 71%. Kesimpulannya, untuk mendapatkan kecekapan terma maksimum 71% daripada pengumpul suria plat rata yang digunakan sebagai pemanas udara, ia mesti dikendalikan pada kadar aliran jisim udara tinggi 3.03 kgs^-1 di bawah kecondongan 35^o di Peshawar, Pakistan.

 

Kata kunci: Eksergi; kecekapan; pengumpul plat rata; tenaga

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*Corresponding author; email: hanif_mechanization@aup.edu.pk