A progressive review of hybrid nanofluid utilization in solar parabolic trough collector

Abstract

The most reliable, cleanest, and accessible alternative energy source today is solar energy. Alternative forms of solar energy cause the least environmental damage. The period demands the use of renewable resources due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the rising cost of electricity. Additionally, unlike these renewable sources, fossil fuels emit CO2. Therefore, the usage of alternate sources assists to diminish greenhouse gases and prevent climate warming. Through the process of using solar energy, which is then transformed into electrical energy and then thermal energy with the aid of a steam turbine, the typical heat transfer fluids have a moderate thermal conductivity; in this case, solid nanomaterials are used to boost this conductivity, and nanofluids play a crucial role. The most widely used solar concentrating technique worldwide is the parabolic trough collector (PTC). In order to present various models and media used to assess the consequences of nanofluids on thermal characteristics for PTC delivering an optimal result, this study compares work conducted earlier in the field. The study also demonstrates that the thermal and optical properties can be improved by utilizing hybrid nanofluids as the heat transfer fluid (HTF) inside the absorber tube of the PTC. Numerous experimental experiments have shown that employing hybrid nanofluids improves thermal characteristics more significantly than using monofluids.