Improving the performance of a triple-flow solar air collector using recyclable aluminum cans as extended heat transfer surfaces: An energetic, exergetic, economic and environmental survey.

In the current work, the effect of integrating recyclable aluminum cans as tubular fins to a triple-flow solar air collector (TFSAC) has been numerically and experimentally investigated. In this regard, conventional (TFSAC) and aluminum can-integrated (TFSAC/F) systems have been simulated by applying computational fluid dynamics approach. Moreover, developed TFSACs have been fabricated and experimentally analyzed at fixed flow rate of 0.01 kg/s. According to the experimentally obtained results, utilizing recyclable aluminum cans as fins improved the average temperature difference as 14.02%. Additionally, average exergetic efficiencies for TFSAC and TFSAC/F were calculated as 18.87% and 23.25%, respectively. Economic and environmental analyses have also been performed for the developed TFSACs within the scope of the present survey. The simple payback periods for TFSAC and TFSAC/F were gained as 1.178 and 1.035 years, respectively. Moreover, the yearly CO 2 savings for TFSAC and TFSAC/F analyzed in this work were attained as 0.149 and 0.169, respectively. It should be stated that mean deviation between numerically and experimentally acquired exit air temperature values are 3.71% and 7.62%, respectively for TFSAC and TFSAC/F. • CFD and experimental analysis of triple-flow solar air collector with aluminum cans. • Average exergy efficiency was upgraded from 18.87% to 23.25% using recyclable cans. • Average COP was attained between 3.30 and 3.82 for both systems in six tests. • LCOH value was reduced by 12.50% using aluminum cans as fins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]