SOLAR WATER HEATER COLLECTOR TUBE OPTIMIZED PERMORMANCE ANALYSIS

The use of solar energy is increasing rapidly in both industrial and domestic purposes and one of its useful purpose is production of hot water with the help of s o l a r w a t e r h ea t e r , w h i c h p l a y s a n i m por t a n t ro le i n e n e r g y co ns e r v a ti o n . B y u t il i z in g t h e s o la r e n e r g y i n s t e a d o f t h e u s u a l e le c t r ic a l e n e r g y t h e c o s t a s w e l l a s e le c t r ic e n e r g y c a n b e s a v e d a n d a ls o its e f f i c i e n c y is co m para t i v e l y m or e t h a n t h e e l ec t r i ca l e n e r g y con v er s i o n . Due to this advantages its implementation is rapidly increasing in domestic. S o l a r w a t e r h ea t e r is a v e r y si m p le d e v i c e a n d e f f i c i en t w a y to ab s or b e n erg y f r o m t h e s u n r a y s a n d u s e i t . T h ere f or e i m pro v e m e n t i n t h e ir opera ti n g c o n d iti o n & g e o m e t r i ca l w o u ld d e f i n it e l y r e su lt i n s a v i n g con v e n ti o n a l f u e l a n d co s t. T h e ob j ec ti v e o f t h is s t u d y is to suit the best collector tubes design and also to v a li da te t h e m a s s f l o w ra te o f w a t e r i n s i d e t h e co ll ec t o r t u b e i n a n n a t u ra l c i rcu l a ti o n s o l a r w a t e r h ea t e r s ys t e m . T h e e x i s t i n g s o l a r w a t e r h ea t i n g s ys t e m s t h e op t i m u m m a s s f l o w ra te i s 0. 1 k g / m 2 with circular shape as the collector tube . For this purpose an analysis has been carried out in Ansys fluent software a n d t h e re su lts sh o w s that the m a x i m u m m a s s f l o w ra te i n s i d e t h e co ll ec t o r t u b e is 0. 6 k g / m 2 , d yn a m ic pre ssu r e o f 4.30×10 5 P a , f l o w v e l oc i t y o f 5.91×1 5 l / m 2 & re l a t i v e t e m pera t u r e o f 367 ° K. for triangle shape collector tube groove.