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The effect of the hole position on trapezoidal winglet vortex generators in a rectangular-duct-type solar air heater

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Abstract

This study presents the effect of hole positions on a trapezoidal winglet vortex generator mounted in a rectangular-duct-type solar air heater, under the condition that the Reynolds number of the air flowing passes through the heater was between 3000 and 20000. Simulations were conducted using the realizable k-epsilon model and the wall function. The simulation results show that the hole positions affect the Nusselt number and friction factor values. The Nusselt number was highest when the hole position was located near the dead zone of the flow field. This can be evinced with a temperature distribution on an absorber plate. The effect of hole positions on the friction factor can be explained by flow velocity distributions in the x-direction of the air influx. The velocity distributions revealed that a hole in a proper position reduces the momentum flux flowing toward the winglet vortex generator, resulting in a less pressure drag.

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Abbreviations

A :

Area

C P :

Specific heat capacity of air

c :

Base of winglet vortex generator

c s :

Short side opposite base of winglet vortex generator

D :

Hydraulic diameter

Diff :

Percentage difference

d :

Hole diameter

e :

Winglet vortex generator height

err. :

Error

H :

Duct height

h :

Convection heat transfer coefficient

j :

Colburn factor

K :

Thermal conductivity of air

L :

Duct length

lat h :

Lateral position of hole

P l :

Length of longitudinal pitch

P t :

Length of transverse pitch

P r :

Prandtl number

q” :

Heat flux

T :

Temperature

u :

Velocity

ver h :

Vertical position of hole

W :

Duct width

e :

Exit or Efflux

h :

(punched) Hole

i :

Inlet or Influx

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics Research Unit, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Boonchai Lertnuwat

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  1. Boonchai Lertnuwat
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Correspondence to Boonchai Lertnuwat.

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Boonchai Lertnuwat has earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 2003. He has been studying the shape of the Taylor bubble under different conditions. And he is recently studying the thermo-hydraulic performance of winglet vortex generators in solar air heaters. Associate Professor Dr. Boonchai Lertnuwat now works as a faculty at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

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Lertnuwat, B. The effect of the hole position on trapezoidal winglet vortex generators in a rectangular-duct-type solar air heater. J Mech Sci Technol 36, 6345–6354 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-1146-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-1146-y

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