Analysis of the Effect of Flow Rate on the Performance of Solar Water Heater Trickle System

Every country is faced with the problem of limited fossil fuels hence the need for renewable energy sources as alternative solutions to this problem. Among the numerous types of renewable energy, solar can produce 834.1 GW of energy, the highest in the world. It can be used as a heater by utilizing a solar collector, which is part of the Solar Water Heater (SWH). Therefore, this research aims to examine the performance of the SWH type trickle by determining the total efficiency with the fluid flow rate of 2, 3, and 4 lpm. The results showed that the total efficiency produced with 4 lpm higher than the 3 and 2 lpm, with an efficiency value of 58.3%, 49.9%, and 49.7%, respectively. The higher the flow rate, the lower the temperature, with a rise in the accumulated heat absorbed by the water hence the total efficiency value produced increases. In conclusion, the higher the total efficiency value, the better the SWH performance.