Thermal and flow performance analysis of a concentrated linear Fresnel solar collector with transverse ribs

Husam Abdulrasool Hasan; Jenan S Sherza; Azher M Abed; Hussein Togun; Nidhal Ben Khedher; Kamaruzzaman Sopian; Jasim M Mahdi; Pouyan Talebizadehsardari

doi:10.3389/fchem.2022.1074581

Thermal and flow performance analysis of a concentrated linear Fresnel solar collector with transverse ribs

Front Chem. 2023 Jan 4:10:1074581. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1074581. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Husam Abdulrasool Hasan¹, Jenan S Sherza¹, Azher M Abed², Hussein Togun^{3

4}, Nidhal Ben Khedher^{5

6}, Kamaruzzaman Sopian⁷, Jasim M Mahdi⁸, Pouyan Talebizadehsardari⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Techniques, AL-Esraa University College, Baghdad, Iraq.
² Air conditioning and Refrigeration Techniques Engineering Department, Al-Mustaqbal University College, Babylon, Iraq.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Thi-Qar, Thi-Qar, Iraq.
⁴ College of Engineering, University of Warith Al-Anbiyaa, Karbala, Iraq.
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Laboratory of Thermal and Energetic Systems Studies (LESTE) at the National School of Engineering of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
⁷ Solar Energy Research Institute, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
⁸ Department of Energy Engineering, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.
⁹ Centre for Sustainable Energy Use in Food Chains, Institute of Energy Futures, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom.

Abstract

This article deals with the impact of including transverse ribs within the absorber tube of the concentrated linear Fresnel collector (CLFRC) system with a secondary compound parabolic collector (CPC) on thermal and flow performance coefficients. The enhancement rates of heat transfer due to varying governing parameters were compared and analyzed parametrically at Reynolds numbers in the range 5,000-13,000, employing water as the heat transfer fluid. Simulations were performed to solve the governing equations using the finite volume method (FVM) under various boundary conditions. For all Reynolds numbers, the average Nusselt number in the circular tube in the CLFRC system with ribs was found to be larger than that of the plain absorber tube. Also, the inclusion of transverse ribs inside the absorber tube increases the average Nusselt number by approximately 115% at Re = 5,000 and 175% at Re = 13,000. For all Reynolds numbers, the skin friction coefficient of the circular tube with ribs in the CLFRC system is larger than that of the plain absorber tube. The coefficient of surface friction reduces as the Reynolds number increases. The performance assessment criterion was found to vary between 1.8 and 1.9 as the Reynolds number increases.

Keywords: Nusselt number; compound parabolic collector; friction coefficient; ribs; solar thermal system; thermal enhancement.