Thermal Investigations of Double Pass Solar Air Heater with Two Types of Porous Media of Different Thermal Conductivity

Abstract

This study describes an experimental investigation of the thermal efficiency of stainless steel mesh and steel wool as a porous medium in the lower channel of a double pass solar air heater. An experimental setup was planned and developed. Various types of porous media with high thermal conductivity and with different porosities have been tested. The effects of the porosity of wire mesh, the thermal conductivity of porous media, mass flow rate, and the intensity of radiation have been studied. Experimental results show that thermal efficiency with using porous media is greater than without using porous media. When used steel wool as a porous medium, the thermal efficiency reached 79.82 percent while it can be achieved 76. The percent by using stainless mesh as porous material. The reduction in porosity increasing thermal efficiency. The thermal efficiency of multi-pass solar air collector when used steel wool as porous media is 6, 12.6 and31.7percent higher than without porous media at porosity 98.75, 97.5, and 96.25percent. While it can increase 8.1 and 28.5 percent at porosity 97.875 and 95.75 percent when using stainless steel as porous media.