Developments in the Field of Solar Water Heater Using Flat Plate Collector- A Review

The development of sustainable energy services like the supply of heating water may face a trade-off with a comfortable quality of life, especially in the winter season where suitable strategies to deliver an effective service are required. Solar energy is becoming an alternative for the limited fossil fuel resources. One of the simplest and most direct applications of this energy is the conversion of solar radiation into heat, which can be used in water heating systems. A commonly used solar collector is the flat-plate. A lot of research has been conducted in order to analyze the flat-plate operation and improve its efficiency. This study investigates the heat transfer process as well as the thermal behavior of a flat plate collector evaluating different configurations of Tubes. Numbers of studies have been carried out on thermal performance of solar water heater and found more increase in the thermal efficiency in comparison to conventional solar water heater. These studies include use of double side absorber plate, honeycomb material, and more efficient coatings. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of solar flat plate collector with tubing arrangement, through the construction, experimentation, theoretical formulation and its simulation of flow and heat transfer. This paper presents an extensive study of the research carried out on solar water heater. In the present study, both experimental and theoretical developments in the field of solar water heater have been reviewed.