Fourier and non-Fourier heat conduction analysis in the absorber plates of a flat-plate solar collector

This paper presents an analytical analysis of both Fourier and non-Fourier heat conduction in the absorber plates of a flat-plate solar collector. Separation of variables was employed to develop the model. For the analysis, a repetitive heat transfer module was used for the solution of parabolic and hyperbolic equations. From the practical point of view, two types of boundary conditions were separately chosen. A numerical technique based on the finite difference method was employed to determine the temperature for validation purposes. A comparative investigation was carried out to understand the requirements for use of the non-Fourier heat conduction model easily. A significant difference in the temperatures obtained from the Fourier and non-Fourier models was observed for lower values of the Fourier number and higher values of the Vernotte number. Finally, the effect of the boundary conditions on the Fourier and non-Fourier heat transfer was demonstrated. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.