Study of the Thermal Performance of Solar Air Collectors with and without Perforated Baffles

Air plate solar collectors provide a sustainable and efficient solution for building heating. The absorber plate collects solar radiation and converts it into heat. Atmospheric air is then circulated through the collector plate with perforated baffles by forced convection. The heated air is then directed through ducts into the building’s heating system. By significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels for building heating, these collectors contribute to a lower life-cycle carbon footprint for buildings compared to conventional heating systems. While flat-plate solar collectors are widely used for renewable energy generation, their efficiency is frequently limited by the airflow path and the heat transfer efficiency within the collector. This study aims to quantify the impact of longitudinal, transverse, and perforated baffles with different hole diameters on the heat transfer characteristics and to identify the optimal design for maximizing thermal efficiency. This study also aims to integrate solar air collector in a conventional building and help reduce the overall energy demand of buildings and their associated carbon emissions. A three-dimensional numerical investigation was carried out on a flat-plate solar collector equipped with perforated transverse baffles with varying hole diameter and thickness. The results from the study predicted that perforated baffles with two holes with a diameter of 15 mm provided a maximum Nu of 79.56 and a pressure drop of 459 Pa for a Re of 8500.