PERFORMANCE STUDY OF A NEW SOLAR AIR HEATER

ABSTRACT Two solar air heaters have been constructed and tested. The first heater is an ordinary (or simple) one, while the second heater is a modified one to increase the heat transfer rates by increasing the turbulence in the stream. This “supper-turbulence” improves the collector thermal performance, and increases the pressure drop along the air passages. Different experiments were carried out with different air discharges and different tilt angles. The experiments were extended along different seasons. The thermal performance and pressure drops in the two heaters were compared.