Numerical simulations for analyzing the efficiency parameters of a new type of flat-plate solar collectors

This article discusses a new design concept for a flat solar collector using flexible tubes. A flat-plate solar collector is designed to run cold water into solar heating systems instead of using expensive antifreeze fluids and to remove secondary media. The development of this type of solar thermal collectors will reduce the installation costs of traditional solar thermal systems without the need for secondary heat exchangers. We determined the main parameters of the heat capacity of a flat solar collector and computed the temperature profile of the absorber plate of a flat-plate solar collector with an inlet temperature of 30 °C. In contrast to a tube coil type temperature loop, it was found that the maximum temperature of the collector plate under the same inlet temperature conditions is much lower than that of the former. Using the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) ANSYS FLUENT 19.0 commercial software package, a phase design was developed based on predictions of the reservoir thermal characteristics and the equivalent heat transfer coefficient of the absorber plates. Experimental test variables for a flat-plate solar collector were also calculated; these were higher with incident solar radiation than with ambient temperature.