The Effect of Fin Placement on the Efficiency of Solar Air Collectors

This work presents the results of an experimental investigation of the performance for a solar flat plate air collectors with several absorber plate orders (flat absorber plate, with rectangular fins, with consecutive fins, with staggered fins) in order to increase the convection coefficient between the absorber plate and the air which is used as a fluid of heat transfer in solar air collectors. Results show an appreciable improvement of the thermal heat performance of solar air collectors with staggered fins in comparison to those with flat absorber plate. The thermal efficiency increased for η = 22 % at a solar intensity of and mass flow rate of ̇ for the solar air collector with staggered fins.