Effect of burner's configuration on the temperature profile inside an innovative solar-gas dryer: Numerical and experimental investigations. (February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Abdenouri, Naji; Zoukit, Ahmed; Salhi, Issam; Doubabi, Said
• Is Part Of: Sustainable energy technologies and assessments. Volume 49(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Subjects: Hybrid solar-gas dryer -- Burners 'configurations -- CFD simulations -- Experimental investigation; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Energy development -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Electric power production -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seta.2021.101690
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2213-1388

Abstract

Abstract: The main purpose of this work is the optimization of a novel hybrid solar gas dryer. The hybrid dryer was made up of a drying chamber and an innovative solar-gas collector. The gas system consisted of three gas burners incorporated below the absorber as follows: in the bottom, the middle, and the top sides. Each burner is independently controlled for activation and deactivation. Given this distribution, seven configurations of the burners were possible (Top burner (Tb ), Middle burner (Mb ), Bottom burner (Bb ), Top-middle burners (T-Mbs ), Top-Bottom burners (T-Bbs ), Middle-Bottom (M-Bbs ), Top-Middle-Bottom (T-M-Bbs )). This work aims to figure out the suitable configuration of the burners and to optimize their placements inside the solar-gas collector. Numerical simulations followed by experimental investigations were conducted in a transitory and steady-state. It was concluded that for the same consumed gas power, the highest temperature (95.6 °C) was achieved by activating the middle burner (Mb ) while the lowest temperature (74.1 °C) was obtained by activating the top–bottom burners (T-Bbs ) . Further, it turned out that the highest temperature could be obtained by concentrating the burners in the middle side of the solar-gas collector. The obtained results have helped to enhance the efficiency of the proposed hybrid solar-gas dryer.