Energy And Exergy Analysis Of An Absorber Plate With Stainless Steel Scourers

The effect of adding stainless steel scourers to absorber surfaces on solar air heater heat transfer efficiency is investigated in this study. The energy and exergy efficiency of collectors with different absorber surface layouts were assessed by a comparative analysis. The absorber surfaces were categorized into three types based on the density of scourers: flat non-porous Type III (T3), less complex porous Type II (T2), and complex porous Type I (T1). Experiments performed at air mass flow rates of 0.025 kg/s and 0.05 kg/s, measuring parameters such as ambient temperature, absorber surface temperature, solar radiation, air inlet and outlet temperatures.At a flow rate of 0.025 kg/s, energy efficiencies of T1, T2, and T3 were 45%, 42%, and 36%, respectively. These efficiencies improved to 55%, 49%, and 46% when the flow rate was increased to 0.05 kg/s. A similar trend was seen in exergy efficiencies, which were 50%, 48%, and 40% for T1, T2, and T3 at 0.025 kg/s, increasing to 66%, 55%, and 52% at 0.05 kg/s.The findings indicated that the flat plate collector (T3) exhibited the lowest efficiency and the highest irreversibility. Additionally, an increase in airflow rate enhanced overall collector performance. These results underscore the significant advantages of porous absorber surfaces, especially the intricate porous design of T1, in improving the energy and exergy efficiencies of solar energy collectors.