Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST)
2 Sankharapur Polytechnic Institute, CTEVT, Nepal
3 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, IOE, TU, Nepal
Abstract
There are various merits of modelling the problem domain numerically, which include cost reduction, ease in variable control, enhanced yield, etc. These merits are known to everyone. This work provides a one-of-a-kind and complete evaluation of distillate yield i.e. productivity in a single slope solar still by combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models with experimental data. Unlike earlier research, which frequently focuses on either simulation or experimental data in isolation, this study presents a direct comparison of the two methodologies, showing their distinct strengths and limitations. The experimental model of solar still was fabricated for experimental study. Based on the experiment, distillate yield was observed every hour of the day. The experiment was conducted on the roof of Balaju School of Engineering and Technology, Kathmandu. On the other hand, CFD model was based on the practical model used for experimentation. Most of the variables were chosen as per the physical domain, such as the material of the solar still and the angle of inclination. From the comparative study, it was found that distillate yield resulted from simulation through CFD analysis, and the experiment followed a similar trend. There was an error of about 26%, which might be the result of losses that occur in practical applications that were not considered during CFD analysis. From the research, it was found that, ANSYS is a powerful tool for performing CFD analysis of practical problems involving fluid flow. Thus, it can be used for modelling and simulating more complex problem in future.
Keywords
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