Influence of Structural and Environmental Parameters on Solar Air Collector Performance

ABSTRACT

With the depletion of conventional energy resources, the development and utilization of solar energy as a renewable resource have become increasingly urgent. Solar air collectors, which capture and convert solar radiation into thermal energy, have attracted considerable attention due to their simple structure and low maintenance cost. In this study, COMSOL multiphysics was employed to conduct a numerical analysis of the effects of structural parameters (air gap depth) and environmental parameters (solar radiation, ambient temperature, and air mass flow rate) on the performance of a solar air collector. The results demonstrate good agreement between the experimental and simulated data, with the error in instantaneous efficiency remaining below 6%. Within the investigated range, increasing the air gap depth and mass flow rate significantly enhances the system's useful energy, temperature difference, and outlet air temperature. The optimal overall thermal performance is achieved at an air gap depth of 8.5 cm and a mass flow rate of 0.01318 kg/s. Air gap depth is identified as the dominant factor affecting system performance, while mass flow rate plays a reinforcing role, particularly at larger gap depths. These findings provide useful references for future research and optimization of solar air collectors.