Studies of the thermal and hydraulic characteristics of the heat carrier of a solar air heating collector

To improve the thermal efficiency of solar air collectors and more efficient heat removal from the absorber, it is necessary to organize an optimal turbulent regime of the coolant. The optimal turbulent regime can be organized by using absorbers of various geometric shapes, as well as using various absorber materials. Considering that reducing the economic costs of manufacturing efficient absorbers for solar air heaters is an urgent task, it is proposed to use drain metal shavings as an absorber for solar air heaters, which are industrial waste that have lost their consumer properties, and contribute to reducing the cost of heaters and increasing their thermal efficiency. The design of the solar air-heating collector, allowing to increase the contact surface between the coolant and the absorber, with the metal shavings absorber is difficult from the point of view of the movement of the air flow, which, repeatedly washing the heated surfaces of various absorber designs, increases its final temperature. This article presents the results of numerical and experimental studies of the theoretical analysis of the characteristics of the air flow intended for operation as a coolant in a solar air-heating collector. The comparison of the calculated and experimental data is carried out.