Title: Exergy and sustainability-based optimisation of flat plate solar collectors by using a novel mathematical model

Authors: Aslı Tiktaş; Huseyin Gunerhan; Arif Hepbasli

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Kırşehir Ahievran University, 40100 Bağbaşı, Kırşehir, Turkey ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey ' Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yasar University, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey

Abstract: A novel mathematical model was used to estimate optimum tilt and azimuth angles, considering exergoeconomic and sustainability aspects. This approach made the solar collector's performance evaluation independent of experimental precision. The optimal angles of 41.191°, 10.038° for Izmir maximised the total surface radiation, exergetic efficiency, exergetic sustainability index, and minimised the destruction and cost rates due to the enhanced useful exergy stream. However, for thermal efficiency maximisation, useful collected solar energy and total surface radiation competed, leading to lower tilt and azimuth angles (0, -0.008). A multi-objective optimisation process chose the pair (0, 259.428) to maximise first law efficiency and exergoeconomic factor.

Keywords: flat plate solar collector; tilt and azimuth angle; single and multi-objective optimisation; non-dominated genetic sorting algorithm; exergoeconomic factor.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2023.134610

International Journal of Exergy, 2023 Vol.42 No.2, pp.192 - 215

Received: 05 Dec 2022
Accepted: 11 Jul 2023
Published online: 30 Oct 2023 *

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