Performance Evaluation of a Finned Solar Air Collector: Numerical and Experimental Investigation

The present study aimed to highlight the performance evaluation of a finned solar air collector. This device works in forced conversion and is destined to dry products. The necessity of improving the thermal performances of the solar air collector for specific needs has encouraged us to realize this study. For that, we design a model of solar air collector in which, fins are fixed on its absorber to produce a turbulent flow of air. The air gets through the fins in the same row and induces a good distribution, then reduces the dead areas. The determination of temporal the variations of the glass temperature, the ambient surface, the entrance and exist of the collector, the global radiation in addition, constitute the focal point of this study. The results give a maximum temperature of 74.2° C, the exist of the collector, 78.5 ° C at the surface of the glass, and 107.4 ° C at the surface of the absorber able of satisfying the drying process Our prototype because of the particularity of its absorber permits to reach efficiency superior to 45%.