Investigating the Effect of Design Parameters on Solar Heater Efficiency using Optimization

¹ Department of Robotics and Automation, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
² Department of MBA, Panimalar Engineering College, Chennai 600123, Tamil Nadu, India
³ Department of Chemistry, Sona College of Technology, Salem 636005, Tamil Nadu, India
⁴ Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore 641021, Tamil Nadu, India
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, PES Institute of Technology and Management, Shivamogga 577204, Karnataka, India
⁶ Department of Automobile Engineering, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India

^* Corresponding author: ganeshbabu.l@rajalakshmi.edu.in

Abstract

To ascertain the optimal designing factors for Solar Air Heater (SAH) model, particularly those with right-angle triangle insertions, the Taguchi method is employed. In this investigation, the thermohydraulic behavior of a coarsened SAH model is examined in relation to designing factors, including Reynolds number (X), roughness of relative pitch (Y), and roughness of relative height (Z). Taguchi L18 Orthogonal Array (OA) design of experiments is used to ensure that the designing factors are functioning as efficiently as feasible. Nusselt number (Nu), frictional factor (f), and thermo-hydraulic behavior (η) are the arithmetical values assessed by the Taguchi approach. X is the most critical parameter for both the Nu and f, as per Taguchi’s research. At the same time, the relative irregularity height is identified as the most critical attribute for thermo-hydraulic performance. For every performance metric, there is a strong correlation between the predictions and the experimental outcomes.