CFD Analysis for a Screw Heat Sink Absorber Tube of a Solar Water Heater Collector

Abstract

This study investigates and compares the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of smooth absorber finned tubes and helical fin absorber tubes used in solar water heating collectors. The three-dimensional numerical simulations were conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics software to analyze fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics. The research is structured into three main sections. In the first section, absorber finned tubes made from different materials, including stainless steel, iron, copper, and aluminum, are evaluated to determine their impact on thermal performance. The second section focuses on the comparative analysis of two different geometric configurations of absorber finned tubes, assessing their influence on heat transfer efficiency. The final section investigates the performance of a selected absorber tube—identified as optimal from the previous analysis—by introducing internal helical fins with varying pitch sizes of 25 mm, 50 mm, 75 mm, and 100 mm. The influence of these internal fins on heat transfer enhancement and flow characteristics is systematically examined. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the optimization of absorber tube designs for solar water heating systems, contributing to improving efficiency and performance in thermal energy applications.