The effect of tilt angle on the performance of evacuated tube solar air collector: experimental analysis

Abstract

The evacuated tube solar air collector had different collector tilt angles from the horizontal with the one inclined at 30° and 45°. Experimental results revealed that tilt angle had significant influence on the thermal performance of the evacuated tube solar air collector along with or without reflector. Experiments also showed that, for 30° tilt angle evacuated tube solar air collector with reflector had better thermal performance then the 45° tilt angle evacuated tube solar air collector with or without reflector. This indicated that increasing collector tilt angle had no positive effect on the thermosyphon phenomenon inside the evacuated tubes.

Keywords: Evacuated tube, solar air collector, thermal Performance, tilt angles, reflector