Enhancing the performance of a greenhouse drying system by using triple-flow solar air collector with nano-enhanced absorber coating

Abstract

In this research, the impacts of utilizing nano-embedded absorber coating in an auxiliary heater of a greenhouse drying system on the thermal and drying performances have been surveyed empirically. In this context, triple-flow solar air collectors with and without CuO nano-enhanced absorber coating have been designed and manufactured. Designed collectors then integrated to even-span greenhouse dryers to be used as an auxiliary heating device. In the experiments, greenhouse dryers have been tested with and without auxiliary heaters at constant flow rate which is 0.014 kg s−1. According to the experimental findings, utilizing triple-flow solar air heating device with and without nano-embedded paint decreased the drying time as 35.71% and 26.66%, respectively. Thermal and exergetic efficiencies for newly developed collectors were found between the range of 70.39–75.11% and 9.05–10.18%, respectively. In addition, specific energy consumption values were decreased by using collectors with and without nano-enhanced modification from 2.51 to 2.11 and from 2.61 to 2.18 kWh/kg, respectively. Attained outcomes of this study showed the successful utilization of nano-enhanced absorber coating in the auxiliary heating system of the greenhouse dryer.

Keywords

• Greenhouse dryer
• Triple-flow
• Solar air collector
• Nano-enhanced
• Black paint