Thermal Hydraulic Performance in a Solar Air Heater Channel with Multi V-Type Perforated Baffles

This article presents heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics in a solar air heater (SAH) channel with multi V-type perforated baffles. The flow passage has an aspect ratio of 10. The relative baffle height, relative pitch, relative baffle hole position, flow attack angle, and baffle open area ratio are 0.6, 8.0, 0.42, 60 degrees, and 12%, respectively. The Reynolds numbers considered in the study was in the range of 3000-10,000. The re-normalization group (RNG) k-epsilon turbulence model has been used for numerical analysis, and the optimum relative baffle width has been investigated considering relative baffle widths of 1.0-7.0.The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data for the range considered in the study. Multi V-type perforated baffles are shown to have better thermal performance as compared to other baffle shapes in a rectangular passage. The overall thermal hydraulic performance shows the maximum value at the relative baffle width of 5.0.