Performance comparison of single and double pass solar air collectors

Converting solar radiation into heat is one of the most common applications of solar energy. The purpose of using the solar air collectors is to raise the atmospheric air temperature to a higher temperature which can be used for various low and medium temperature applications. There are several designs of solar air collectors which are used in different applications. These types of solar collectors are designed based on the required heat capacity. This research develops mathematical equations of flat plate and v-groove solar air collectors with single and double pass flow to compare the thermal efficiency of each collector. Factors such as collector absorber design and airflow arrangement are the most important that influence the efficiency of solar collectors. The performance of the collector also depends on the heat loss of the collector and the absorber area that is on contact with that airflow. From the simulation it is found, V-groove double pass air collector has the highest efficiency value of 56% at flow rate of 0.06 kg/m2s