Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of a Semi-Circular Solar Air Collector Utilizing an Innovative Configuration of Metal Foams
The enhancement of the thermal and thermo-hydraulic performance of a semi-circular solar air collector (SCSAC) is numerically investigated using porous semi-circular obstacles made of metal foam with and without longitudinal porous Y-shaped fins. Two 10 and 40 PPI porous material samples are examine...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2501 |
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| author | Basim A. R. Al-Bakri Ali M. Rasham Ali O. Al-Sulttani |
| author_facet | Basim A. R. Al-Bakri Ali M. Rasham Ali O. Al-Sulttani |
| author_sort | Basim A. R. Al-Bakri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The enhancement of the thermal and thermo-hydraulic performance of a semi-circular solar air collector (SCSAC) is numerically investigated using porous semi-circular obstacles made of metal foam with and without longitudinal porous Y-shaped fins. Two 10 and 40 PPI porous material samples are examined. Three-dimensional models are built to simulate the performance of SCSAC: model (I) with clear air passage; model (II) with only metal foam obstacles, and model (III) with metal foam obstacles as well as porous Y-fins. COMSOL Multiphysics software version 6.2 based on finite element methodology is employed. A conjugate heat transfer with a (k-ε) turbulence model is selected to simulate both heat transfer and fluid flow across the entire computational domain. However, only the local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) model of heat transfer is applied in the porous regions. The findings demonstrated that adding metal foam as the novel proposed configuration particularity of model (III) may enhance the thermal efficiency by about 30%, and the outlet air temperature may rise to 7% compared to other models. Also, the performance evaluation factor of this model is greater than one in all cases. Additionally, the thermal enhancement is accomplished by occupying only 5% of the air passage volume, thereby including an associated pressure drop of minimal magnitude. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-57cc22c23ea14c66a97b18e788007faa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-57cc22c23ea14c66a97b18e788007faa2025-08-20T03:47:49ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-05-011810250110.3390/en18102501Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of a Semi-Circular Solar Air Collector Utilizing an Innovative Configuration of Metal FoamsBasim A. R. Al-Bakri0Ali M. Rasham1Ali O. Al-Sulttani2Department of Aeronautical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Al-Jadriya Campus, Baghdad 10071, IraqDepartment of Energy Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Al-Jadriya Campus, Baghdad 10071, IraqDepartment of Water Resources Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Al-Jadriya Campus, Baghdad 10071, IraqThe enhancement of the thermal and thermo-hydraulic performance of a semi-circular solar air collector (SCSAC) is numerically investigated using porous semi-circular obstacles made of metal foam with and without longitudinal porous Y-shaped fins. Two 10 and 40 PPI porous material samples are examined. Three-dimensional models are built to simulate the performance of SCSAC: model (I) with clear air passage; model (II) with only metal foam obstacles, and model (III) with metal foam obstacles as well as porous Y-fins. COMSOL Multiphysics software version 6.2 based on finite element methodology is employed. A conjugate heat transfer with a (k-ε) turbulence model is selected to simulate both heat transfer and fluid flow across the entire computational domain. However, only the local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) model of heat transfer is applied in the porous regions. The findings demonstrated that adding metal foam as the novel proposed configuration particularity of model (III) may enhance the thermal efficiency by about 30%, and the outlet air temperature may rise to 7% compared to other models. Also, the performance evaluation factor of this model is greater than one in all cases. Additionally, the thermal enhancement is accomplished by occupying only 5% of the air passage volume, thereby including an associated pressure drop of minimal magnitude.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2501solar air collectormetal foamssemi-circularcomputational fluid dynamics analysisthermal performance enhancementheat transfer augmentation |
| spellingShingle | Basim A. R. Al-Bakri Ali M. Rasham Ali O. Al-Sulttani Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of a Semi-Circular Solar Air Collector Utilizing an Innovative Configuration of Metal Foams Energies solar air collector metal foams semi-circular computational fluid dynamics analysis thermal performance enhancement heat transfer augmentation |
| title | Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of a Semi-Circular Solar Air Collector Utilizing an Innovative Configuration of Metal Foams |
| title_full | Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of a Semi-Circular Solar Air Collector Utilizing an Innovative Configuration of Metal Foams |
| title_fullStr | Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of a Semi-Circular Solar Air Collector Utilizing an Innovative Configuration of Metal Foams |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of a Semi-Circular Solar Air Collector Utilizing an Innovative Configuration of Metal Foams |
| title_short | Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of a Semi-Circular Solar Air Collector Utilizing an Innovative Configuration of Metal Foams |
| title_sort | thermal and thermo hydraulic performance of a semi circular solar air collector utilizing an innovative configuration of metal foams |
| topic | solar air collector metal foams semi-circular computational fluid dynamics analysis thermal performance enhancement heat transfer augmentation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2501 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT basimaralbakri thermalandthermohydraulicperformanceofasemicircularsolaraircollectorutilizinganinnovativeconfigurationofmetalfoams AT alimrasham thermalandthermohydraulicperformanceofasemicircularsolaraircollectorutilizinganinnovativeconfigurationofmetalfoams AT alioalsulttani thermalandthermohydraulicperformanceofasemicircularsolaraircollectorutilizinganinnovativeconfigurationofmetalfoams |