WSEAS Transactions on Heat and Mass Transfer
Print ISSN: 1790-5044, E-ISSN: 2224-3461
Volume 21, 2026
Comparative Analysis of the Thermal Performance of Solar Collectors with Single and Double Airflow
Authors: , , ,
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Abstract: Due to the lack of precise data on the thermal performance of single- and double-flow air solar collectors under the climatic conditions of the Ecuadorian highlands, a comparative analysis based on experimental results was conducted. The measurement system consisted of a data acquisition module connected to twenty thermistors, designed to record the inlet, internal, and outlet temperatures of each collector. A fan was also used to ensure forced air circulation and measure its outlet velocity. The results showed that the double-flow collector reached a maximum outlet temperature of 35.13 °C, higher than the 33.56 °C recorded by the single-flow collector. Similarly, the average thermal efficiency was 51% for the double-flow system and 27% for the single-flow system, under an average solar radiation of 461.76 W/m² and an average ambient temperature of 15.53 °C. These findings confirm the superiority of the dual-flow design in terms of thermal efficiency.
Keywords:
Thermal performance, solar radiation, energy, double flow, solar collectors, forced convection
Pages: 35-43
DOI: 10.37394/232012.2026.21.3