Experimental and theoretical investigation of dual purpose solar collector

Experimental data indicate that high temperature and high performance can be obtained using dual purpose solar collector (DPSC) compared to single water or air collector. A mathematical model based on effectiveness method has been developed for the investigation of thermal performance of DPSC. In the collector two fluids (water and air) flow simultaneously. Three different kinds of channels are used to enhance the performance of collector, such as: rectangular fin, triangular fin and without fin. Simulation results show that channels with rectangular fin have better performance compared with others. The effect of water inlet temperature and air flow rate on heat delivery by air and water has been investigated.