Performance Improvement of an Integrated Collector Storage Solar Water Heater by Using an Additional Glass Cover: A Numerical Study

Angham F. Abed; Noora A. Hashim; Ruaa B. Dahham; Esam H. Alkaldy

doi:10.53523/ijoirVol11I2ID384

Authors

Angham F. Abed Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Iraq
Noora A. Hashim Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Iraq
Ruaa B. Dahham School Buildings Division, Najaf Education Directorate, Ministry of Education, Iraq
Esam H. Alkaldy Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53523/ijoirVol11I2ID384

Keywords:

Rectangular solar storage, Collector, COMSOL, Collector thermal efficiency

Abstract

This paper describes the analysis of a solar storage water heating system, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and integrated design. The study employs numerical analysis to assess and optimize the performance of a rectangular solar collector with an added glass cover and an internal horizontal barrier. Using COMSOL software, a three-dimensional modeling study was conducted in the Kufa-Najaf climate on May 9th. The analysis focused on fundamental convection equations governing mass, momentum, and energy conservation. Temperature and velocity distributions were obtained at 13:30 PM, revealing a peak storage water temperature of 56.3 °C. The additional glass cover-barrier storage collector, set at a 60° angle, exhibited the highest stored energy at 2065.6 W, surpassing the conventional storage collector at 1007.06 W. Furthermore, the model demonstrated an increased instantaneous efficiency of 58.3%, compared to 28.4% for the conventional collector. The simulation results align well with previous findings, showing a maximum mean absolute percent error (MAE) of 4.5%.