Experimental investigations on jet impingement solar air collectors using pin-fin absorber

In this paper, the performances of a novel jet impingement solar air collector (JISAC) using flat and pin-fin absorbers were experimentally investigated. The experimental observations in a JISAC have been made under the climatic conditions of Coimbatore city in India during the year 2019. The thermo-hydraulic analyses were conduced to study the influence of pressure drop across the perforated jet plate. The effects of solar irradiation, ambient temperature, ambient wind velocity and air mass flow rate through the JISAC duct using flat and pin-fin absorbers were studied. The air mass flow rate through the JISAC was optimized to 0.025 kg/s based on the experimental trials. Thermodynamic performance comparisons have been made among the flat and pin-fin absorbers. The results showed that, the JISAC using pin-fin absorber has 2-7 degrees C higher air temperature at the outlet with 3-7%, 2-6% and 2-6% improved energy efficiency, thermo-hydraulic efficiency and exergy efficiency, respectively when compared to the JISAC using flat absorber. The pressure drop across the JISAC duct is about 90% higher when compared to the conventional solar air collectors. The pressure drop through the jet plate has increased the air velocity impinging on the absorber. As a result, the heat transfer coefficient between air and the absorber has been significantly improved.