A review on the simulation/CFD based studies on the thermal augmentation of flat plate solar collectors. (2021) - Thakur, Abhishek
Abstract: The flat plate solar collectors (FPSCs) are widely used in heating applications due to their simple design and easy installation. Different methodologies and approaches have been used for efficiency improvement and thermal performance enhancement of FPSCs. Coating and thickness of glass cover; Transmittance and emissivity of glass cover influences the thermal performance of FPSCs. The efficiency of FPSC is reduced due to different type of heat losses occurring because of the temperature difference between absorber and surroundings. Transparent cover and Insulating materials such as CFC free polyurethane foam (PUF) collector are used in the FPSCs to minimize the heat loss. Air gap between the absorber plate and glass cover also affect the efficiency of FPSC due to reduction in natural convection. The insertion of twisted tapes, wire coil and foam are the most effective techniques to improve thermal performance of FPSCs. The insertion of twisted tapes results in increased fluid mixing and friction which increase the heat transfer. Porous materials are used in the solar collector system to enhance the heat transfer material because of their high thermal conductivity. The present work provides an overview of numerical/CFD based studies on various kinds of methods which have been used for efficiency improvement of FPSCs. Use of nanofluids, PCM and polymer, changing absorber plate design and use of inserts and reflector for escalating performance of FPSCs have been discussed. These articles also suggest the scope for future work in the domain of FPSCs.