Optimization of a novel trapezoidal staggered ribs configuration for enhancement of a solar air heater performance using CFD

Abstract

A novel transverse trapezoidal staggered ribs configuration as artificial roughness is investigated using CFD to understand the fluid flow and heat transfer behaviors for improving the performance of a solar air heater. In addition, experimental validation of Nusselt numbers for smooth duct against CFD results is established. The staggered ribs arrangement outperforms the continuous ribs and insights obtained from the thermal-fluid flow behaviors are further applied to optimize the staggered arrangements of the rib. Reynolds number Re is varied from 5000 to 24,000, and rib parameters are optimized with a special focus on understanding the effects of discontinuous rib width (w) and gap width (g).