Performance Assessment of a Flat-Plate Solar Air Collector with Internal Baffles

This research presents a quantitative analysis of an enhanced solar air collector (flat-plate air collector) featuring internal baffles and various inlets to increase its thermal performance. The system is modeled in COMSOL Multiphysics, where the governing equations for heat transport and fluid flow are resolved using the finite element method (FEM). The modified design increases the outlet air temperature by 8–12 °C and enhances thermal efficiency by 14.6% compared with a conventional smooth flat-plate collector. The simulation will reflect real life daily solar conditions since it takes into consideration effects of varying solar radiation during an 8-hour duration. There are six circular inlets which admit the ambient air into the collector at a constant rate of 0.1 m/s with an inlet temperature 298.15 K. The internal baffles installed on the collector increase heat transfer due to convection, as well as promoting turbulence. The data provides in-depth knowledge of the heat transfer characteristics, temperature distribution and airflow distribution within the collector itself.