Numerical and experimental investigation of the effect of convector thickness and height on panel radiator thermal performance

Panel radiators are commonly preferred heating elements in buildings, offices, and other structures due to their advantages such as high efficiency, low cost, easy installation, and maintenance. However, the global pandemic that began in 2020 and the subsequent economic crisis significantly increased the prices of fuel, electricity, and natural gas, causing the costs of sheet metal used in panel production and transportation fees to peak. Panel radiator manufacturers have had to take various measures to maintain the balance of supply and demand.In this study, the thermal performance of 7 different models was investigated using ANSYS Fluent 2020 R1 software. All radiators are of the PCCP type (Panel-Convector-Convector-Panel), with a length of 1000 mm and a height of 600 mm, but they have different convector shapes, thicknesses, and lengths. These models were obtained by reducing the dimensions of the convectors, which significantly contribute to the thermal performance of the panel radiator and are second only to the panel sheet in terms of weight, and by reducing the thickness of the sheet. Additionally, experimental studies were conducted for two models of the PCCP type (Panel-Convector-Convector-Panel), which were obtained by only reducing the convector thickness. These models, with a length of 1000 mm and a height of 600 mm, are 1-Model A (cut design convector shape → convector thickness 0.32 mm, height 560 mm) and 2-Model N (cut design convector shape → convector thickness 0.28 mm, height 560 mm). The consistency of the analysis results was confirmed through these experimental studies.The obtained analysis and experimental test results revealed that reducing the convector sheet thickness and height led to a decrease in thermal performance. Furthermore, this study showed that the larger the convector surface area, the more positively it contributes to the thermal performance of the panel radiator.