Comparison of different designs of solar air heater with the simple solar heater of having reflecting mirrors.

In this research paper, three different arrangements of Solar Air Heaters (SAH) have been modeled and experimentally analyzed. The first solar heater is the Simple Solar Air Heater with tin cans, second has added reflecting mirrors with tin cans and third has a triangular fins arrangement on a copper plate. The outlet temperature of the air, solar heater efficiency, pressure drop, exergy, and exergy destruction have been determined for three arrangements of solar air heaters and compared with each other. The best performer SAH among the three was finally validated with the previous study on evacuated tube pipe solar air heater. After experimental and modeling results, it is concluded that the performance of evacuated tube pipe solar heater is better than tin cans reflecting mirror solar air heater in morning and evening and at noon the performance of reflecting mirror solar air heater is better since the addition of reflecting mirrors increase the heat supplied on the tin can tube in the afternoon time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]