Optimization of solar water heating absorber riser with header tube using RSM and CFD simulation

• Published in: Matéria Vol. 30
• Main Authors: Narayanasamy, Sivakumar, Iruthayasamy, George, Perumal, Ramesh, Ramasamy, Kalaivanan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Laboratório de Hidrogênio, Coppe - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; em cooperação com a Associação Brasileira do Hidrogênio, ABH2 2025
• Subjects: CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY; MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; METALLURGY & METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING; Thermal Efficiency Enhancement; Solar Water Heating Optimization; Response Surface Methodology; Heat Transfer Analysis; CFD Simulation
• ISSN: 1517-7076; 1517-7076
• DOI: 10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2024-0850

ABSTRACT The growing global energy demand and environmental concerns underscore the importance of optimizing solar water heating systems (SWHS) with an emphasis on material properties to enhance thermal efficiency. Despite technological advancements, challenges in material selection, riser tube design, and operational parameters limit the performance of SWHS. This study focuses on optimizing the thermal efficiency of a solar flat plate collector by integrating material analysis within a combined Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) framework. By exploring the effects of riser count, material conductivity, mass flow rate, and inclination angle, the study demonstrates how material properties significantly influence heat transfer. Copper, as the absorber material, exhibited superior thermal performance, with optimized conditions achieving a maximum outlet temperature of 350.61 K. The combined CFD-RSM methodology minimized experimental iterations and provided a deeper understanding of the interplay between material properties and system dynamics. These findings highlight the critical role of material selection in developing cost-effective, high-efficiency solar absorbers. Future research should investigate advanced materials and innovative geometries to enhance the performance and sustainability of SWHS further.