Abstract
The evaluations of the performance of solar flat-plate collectors are reported in the literature. A computer program developed by MATLAB has been applied for modelling the performance of a solar collector under steady state laminar conditions. Results demonstrate that Cu-water nanofluid would be capable of boosting the thermal efficiency of the collector by 2.4% at 4% volume concentration in the case of using Cunanofluid instead of just water as the working fluid. It is noteworthy that, dispersing the nanoparticles into the water results in a higher pressure drop and, therefore, a higher power consumption for pumping the nanofluid within the collector. It has been estimated for the collector understudy, that the increase in the pressure drop and pumping power to be around 30%.
Highlights
Solar flat-plate collectors (FPCs) as an effective renewable-based device for the energy supply of domestic and industrial sectors, provide a potential for the performance improvement with the aid of nanofluids
The conductivity enhancement will lead to an improvement in the performance of a FPC whilst the increase of viscosity and density will result in a higher pressure drop and, a higher pumping power in a forced circulation solar FPC
The modelling and thermal behaviour evaluation of a solar FPC working with a Cu/water nanofluid has been considered in this study
Summary
Solar flat-plate collectors (FPCs) as an effective renewable-based device for the energy supply of domestic and industrial sectors, provide a potential for the performance improvement with the aid of nanofluids. Conductivity, amongst the other thermophysical properties, is most affected by nanoparticles; the other properties of base fluids, such as viscosity, heat capacity, and density are not excluded from the change. The interactions between these properties of nanofluids during the heat transfer phenomenon, and flowing in the pipes, will determine the overall performance of solar collectors. Most of research studies have been carried out so far, have considered the same temperature for the inlet of the collector and the ambient temperature Such a situation happens rarely in practice because it shows the conditions in which no thermal absorption takes place and only the optical performance of the collector plays the role of the heat transfer. This paper has considered a non-zero value for the difference of the inlet and ambient temperatures
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