EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION RESULTS OF THE TEMPERATURE REGIME IN A SOLAR AIR COLLECTOR WITH TURBULATORS
Keywords:
solar air heater, turbulators, thermal efficiency, temperature distribution, heat transfer, solar irradiance, experimental analysis, desalination, basin solar still.Abstract
This study presents an experimental evaluation of a turbulated solar air heater (SAH) aimed at improving thermal performance for solar desalination applications. Although previous studies have reported significant enhancements using various turbulator geometries, research on integral turbulators remains limited. In this work, a prototype turbulated SAH was developed and tested. The thermal behavior of the transparent cover, absorber plate, and working air was monitored, and heat transfer calculations were performed analytically. Experiments conducted on 23-24 May 2025 showed ambient temperatures of 29.9-39.2℃ and solar irradiance up to 957 W/m2. The absorber, cover, and outlet air temperatures reached average values of 60.9-61.4℃, 50.0-50.3℃, and 55.3-55.6℃, respectively, with strong agreement between theoretical and experimental data (R2≥0.97). At solar irradiance levels of 800-1000 W/m2, the heater supplied hot air up to 74℃, suitable for enhancing evaporation in basin-type solar stills.
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