Performance enhancement of solar air heater using V baffles

The solar air heater (SAH) is typically used for drying industrial and agricultural products; however, its application in high-temperature processes is limited due to low thermal efficiency. This study aims to augment the performance of SAH by introducing V-shaped baffles with three different perforation configurations: square, rectangular, and a combination of both. To determine which of the three V-baffle designs had the best perforation, CFD simulations were conducted. The final perforation was selected based on the CFD data, and the system was then constructed for experimental study. CFD results show that using a V-shaped baffle with a square and rectangular perforation combination provides the best output temperature than the other two designs. Using this perforation, study were performed at varying mass flow rates such as 0.0230, 0.0307, and 0.0384 kg/s. The results showed that the average output air temperature of 47, 51 and 52 °C while using the V baffle with combined perforation and the average useful power obtained by the proposed SAH is 244.35 W, 448.17 W, and 585.37 W, respectively, for the given flow rates. The maximum increase in useful power was observed to be 26%, 29%, and 28% higher than conventional SAH. Also, this proposed SAH has 10%, 19%, and 24% less average top surface heat loss than conventional SAH and has 5%, 13%, and 14% higher efficiency than conventional SAH for the given flow rates. The environmental and economic study also reveals that the proposed design has 12.36% less payback time and 12.6% higher production factor than conventional SAH.