Design and structural optimization of flat-plate solar air collector

In order to utilize solar energy in agriculture products dehydrating drying via solar-thermal transformation，a kind of flat-plate solar air collector was designed. The optimum structures of collector were presented through series of contrast tests. After performance test on the collector, the equation between air temperature at inlet and outlet and irradiance was obtained. The efficiency of this collector was as high as 84.53%, while the absorber was lateral corrugated, the rate of flow was 0.06 kg/s, the average inlet temperature was 22.16℃, and the average irradiance was 870.60 W/m2; When the average daily environment temperature was 17℃, and the top and bottom passageway spacing ratio was 2:1, the highest temperature in the collector was 87.6℃, risen by 66.4℃ compared with the ambient temperature. The collector has the advantages of low cost, high efficiency and simple structure, which can be used in fields of agricultural products drying dehumidifying. With the benefits of low cost, environment protection and easy to install, the collector has a good potential for future market.