Convective heat loss from a modified solar cavity receiver with vertical plate fins: An experimental assessment

Experimental investigations have been conducted to study the convective heat transfer from a cylindrical solar cavity receiver with vertical fins. The experiments were performed under varying surface heat flux levels and at seven inclination angles, ranging from −90° (upward facing) to +90° (downward facing) at 30° intervals. The impact of fins on the heat transfer process was studied by conducting experiments in two scenarios, namely, finned and unfinned cavities. The findings of the study showed that with an increase in cavity inclination, the magnitude of convective heat loss decreased in both finned and unfinned cavities, while the cavity surface temperature increased. At +90° inclination, the convective heat loss and Nusselt number were observed to have the lowest value, while the surface temperature had the highest value. For a downward-facing cavity, the fins reduced convective heat loss, leading to an increase in cavity surface temperature. The finned cavity performed better for a vertically downward-facing inclination (+90°) as it had a contribution of only 11% for convection heat loss compared with the unfinned cavity, which had a contribution of 21% for the same. Furthermore, an empirical model was developed based on the experimental results for the Nusselt number, which correlates experimental data with an error margin of ±15%. This model can be used to predict the Nusselt number for different inclination angles and surface heat flux levels. The presence of vertical fins in the cavity was found to be effective in reducing convective heat loss, especially for downward-facing cavities. Understanding the influence of fin and cavity inclination on convective heat transfer can lead to enhanced efficiency and performance of solar receivers, thereby increasing the overall energy output of the system.