Combined natural convection and surface radiation in solar collector equipped with partitions

A comprehensive numerical study was carried out to study the thermal performances of a solar collector equipped with partitions attached to its glass cover. This technique is used to favorise and increase the heat transfer coefficient between the working fluid, (air) and the absorber in the solar collector. A specifically developed numerical model based on the finite-volume method and the SIMPLER algorithm is used for the solution of the mass, momentum and energy transfer governing equations. The discretized equations are solved iteratively by an algorithm based on a preconditioned conjugate gradient method. Concerning the radiation exchange, we consider that the working fluid is transparent, so only the solid surfaces contribute to the radiation exchange and assumed to be diffuse-gray. A complete parametric study is made for various partitions length Lp, aspect ratio A and Rayleigh numbers Ra for Prandtl number Pr = 0.71. Results are reported in terms of isotherms, streamlines and average Nusselt-numbers along the absorber plate.