Experimental Validation of Exergy Optimization of a Flat-Plate Solar Collector in a Thermosyphon Solar Water Heater

• Published in: Arabian journal for science and engineering (2011) 2019-03, Vol.44 (3), p.2535-2549
• Main Authors: Wenceslas, Koholé Yemeli, Ghislain, Tchuen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Computer simulation; Construction materials; Design parameters; Engineering; Exergy; Genetic algorithms; Heat loss; Humanities and Social Sciences; Mathematical models; multidisciplinary; Optimization; Product design; Research Article - Systems Engineering; Science; Thermosyphons; Thickness; Water heaters
• ISSN: 2193-567X; 1319-8025; 2191-4281
• DOI: 10.1007/s13369-018-3227-x

In this paper, a flat-plate solar collector used in thermosyphon solar water heater has been optimized; and the optimization results used to fabricate a flat-plate solar collector with locally available materials. The constructed heater has then been tested under the climatic conditions of the city of Santa in Cameroon and the measured data used to validate the proposed theoretical model. The computational code that helps to obtain the right combination of the design parameters that maximizes the exergy efficiency was written employing the genetic algorithm. The optimization results show the ability of the heater to achieve high performances with lower surface area of the collector. The experimental and numerical simulation results of a chosen day have been confronted, and the concordance proves to be acceptable. It has also been observed that the absorber plate made of aluminum would have the same performance with that made of copper if it thickness is increased up to 0.005 m and that increasing the insulator thickness to approximately 0.05 m leads to a considerable decrease of the heat loss coefficients and consequently to an increase in the efficiencies of the system.