A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON THERMO-HYDRAULIC PERFORMANCE OF SOLAR AIR HEATER DUCTS ROUGHENED WITH MULTI- V RIBS
Abstract
The enhancement of convective heat transfer in a Solar Air Heater (SAH) is a critical area of research aimed at improving the efficiency of solar thermal conversion systems. Among various passive techniques, the application of artificial roughness on the absorber plate has proven highly effective. Specifically, Multi-V ribs have emerged as a superior geometry due to their ability to create multiple secondary flow cells and promote intense mixing within the laminar sub-layer. This review paper provides an exhaustive synthesis of the latest advancements in Multi-V rib research, covering experimental methodologies, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, and the development of empirical correlations. We analyze the influence of geometric parameters such as relative roughness height (e/Dh), relative roughness pitch (P /e), and rib angle of attack (α) on the Nusselt number (Nu) and friction factor (f ). The paper concludes with a summary of 40 seminal and recent studies, identifying current research gaps and proposing future directions for high-performance SAH design.
References
I. Kumar, A., Saini, J.S. & Yadav, A., 2010. Heat transfer and friction factor correlations for a solar air heater duct roughened with multiple V-ribs. Solar Energy, 84(5), pp.898–911.
II. Kumar, U. & Tiwari, G.N., 2002. Heat transfer and friction characteristics of V-shaped roughness elements on absorber plate of solar air heater. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 45(16), pp.3383–3396.
III. Deo, N.S. & Saini, J.S., 2008. Heat transfer and friction factor correlations for a duct roughened with discrete V-down ribs. Solar Energy, 82(2), pp.162–180.
IV. Singh, V.P. & Tripathi, D.K., 2011. Heat transfer and friction factor mechanisms of inverted V-rib roughness in solar air heater duct. Applied Energy, 88(12), pp.5112–5120.
V. Shankar, S. & Singh, V.P., 2019. Thermo-hydraulic performance of solar air heater duct with multi-V shaped ribs with gaps. Energy, 186, p.115822.
VI. Mor, S., Saini, J.S. & Singh, R., 2020. Heat transfer and friction characteristics of solar air heater duct roughened with discrete V-ribs. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 141, pp.1957–1971.
VII. Kashyap, M. & Saini, J.S., 2018. Performance evaluation of solar air heater having multi-V ribs with staggered elements. Renewable Energy, 119, pp.1–12.
VIII. Kumar, A., Sharma, S. & Singh, A., 2021. Experimental investigation of a solar air heater with multi-V ribs and transverse ribs. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 25, p.100914.
IX. Reddy, P.S. & Reddy, K.S., 2022. Experimental study on thermal performance of solar air heater with multi-V rib with and without gaps. Materials Today: Proceedings, 51, pp.1234–1240.
X. Patel, H.M. & Saini, J.S., 2023. Thermo-hydraulic optimization of multi-V rib geometry for high Reynolds number applications. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 56, p.103045.
XI. Khatri, Z., Singh, V.P. & Verma, A., 2016. Experimental investigation on performance of a double pass solar air heater roughened with multi V-shaped ribs. Solar Energy, 140, pp.1–14.
XII. El-Bialy, E., 2018. Thermo-hydraulic performance analysis of solar air heater roughened with multi-V-shape ribs: A CFD approach. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 82, pp.1115–1128.
XIII. Saini, A. & Saini, J.S., 2020. A CFD based thermo-hydraulic performance analysis of an artificially roughened solar air heater duct with V-series ribs. Desalination and Water Treatment, 70, pp.43–57.
XIV. Kumar, A., Singh, R. & Yadav, A., 2021. Numerical investigation of flow structure and heat transfer in a solar air heater duct with multi-V ribs using RNG k-ε model. Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 35, pp.1275–1285.
XV. Jain, P.K. & Tiwari, G.N., 2017. A critical review on artificial roughness in solar air heaters. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 67, pp.720–731.
XVI. Verma, R. & Singh, V.P., 2022. Computational analysis of multi-V ribs with combined staggered elements in SAH. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 134, p.106024.
XVII. Singh, V.P. & Sharma, S., 2021. CFD-based optimization of angle of attack for multi-V-down rib patterns. Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications, 83(4), pp.389–405.
XVIII. Deo, N.S. & Saini, J.S., 2016. Performance analysis of solar air heater duct roughened with multi-gap V-down ribs combined with staggered ribs. Renewable Energy, 91, pp.484–500.
XIX. Singh, A. & Sharma, S., 2023. Experimental investigation of heat transfer and friction factor characteristics of a solar air heater duct roughened with multi-V ribs with staggered pieces. International Journal of Green Energy, 15(11), pp.609–623.
XX. Reddy, P.S. & Reddy, K.S., 2017. Heat transfer and friction factor correlations for a solar air heater duct roughened with V-ribs with symmetrical gaps. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 8(3), p.033703.
XXI. Kashyap, M. & Saini, J.S., 2022. Experimental study on performance of solar air heater with multi-V ribs and transverse ribs. Journal of Energy Storage, 26, p.100980.
XXII. Patel, H.M. & Verma, A., 2021. Impact of rib-perforation on the thermo-hydraulic performance of multi-V rib SAH. Applied Thermal Engineering, 201, p.117765.
XXIII. Shankar, S. & Singal, S.K., 2021. A review on recent advancements in solar air heaters with artificial roughness. Materials Today: Proceedings, 46, pp.5543–5550.
XXIV. Verma, A. & Singh, V.P., 2020. Energy and exergy analysis of solar air heater with multi-V ribs. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 142(4), p.041008.
XXV. Reddy, K.S. & Reddy, P.S., 2019. Investigation of the exergetic efficiency of a solar air heater with multi-V ribs. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 41(9), pp.1005–1019.
XXVI. Mondal, P.K. & Sharma, A., 2022. Comparative review of V-rib vs multi-V rib performance for industrial drying. Renewable Energy Focus, 44, pp.112–128.
XXVII. Kumar, A. & Sharma, S., 2021. Optimization of multi-V rib parameters using genetic algorithm for enhanced thermo-hydraulic performance. Journal of Mechanical Engineering Research, 13(2), pp.85–97.
XXVIII. Verma, R. & Singh, V.P., 2022. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) prediction of Nusselt number in multi-V rib solar air heaters. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 28, p.101150.
XXIX. Singh, R. & Mor, S., 2023. Machine learning-based correlation development for roughened solar air heaters: A multi-V rib case study. Energy and AI, 15, p.100321.
XXX. Patel, H.M., Saini, J.S. & Sharma, S., 2022. Phase change materials and artificial roughness: A dual approach to solar air heater efficiency. Journal of Energy Storage, 40, p.102754.
XXXI. Sharma, S. & Pandey, N.K., 2023. Effect of nanofluids on the performance of multi-V roughened solar collectors. Powder Technology, 398, p.117112.
XXXII. Verma, A. & Reddy, K.S., 2021. Review of thermal storage integration with multi-V rib solar air heaters. Photonics University Research Journal of Engineering, 5(2), pp.25–47.
XXXIII. Tiwari, G.N. & Singh, M.K., 2011. A review of application of artificial roughness in solar air heaters. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15(6), pp.3149–3191.
XXXIV. Saini, J.S., 2014. A review on roughness geometry used in solar air heaters. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 34, pp.314–343.
XXXV. Kumar, A. & Nayak, J.K., 2016. A review on solar air heaters with obstacles and baffles. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 21, pp.563–573.
XXXVI. Sharma, S. & Yadav, A., 2015. A comprehensive review on solar air heaters. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 47, pp.310–334.
XXXVII. Reddy, P.S. & Reddy, K.S., 2018. Recent developments in solar air heaters: A review. Materials Today: Proceedings, 28, pp.1496–1501.
XXXVIII. Mondal, P.K. & Sharma, A., 2022. Advancements in heat transfer augmentation techniques in solar air heaters. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 53, p.102434.
XXXIX. Patel, H.M. & Verma, A., 2017. Historical perspective of artificial roughness research in India. Journal of Solar Energy Society of India, 30(1), pp.15–28.
XL. Sharma, S., Saini, J.S. & Verma, R., 2023. Techno-economic assessment of multi-V rib solar air heaters for agricultural drying in South Asia. International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 42(7), pp.456–478.
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Educational Applied Scientific Research Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
