Abstract
Solar thermal collectors are systems that allow for the use of solar energy in thermal applications. These collectors utilize a heat transfer fluid to transport absorbed solar radiation to applications where they are needed. Scientists in a bid to improve the conversion efficiency of solar collectors have suggested different collector designs and improved collector materials. Over the last 25 years, the study of nanofluids and their applications have revolutionized material science, and nanotechnology has found applications in improving solar collector materials. This article reviews the impact of different nanomaterials on the efficiency of solar collectors. The study also outlines the limitations of applying nanofluids and discusses the long-term challenges of their application to solar collectors. Nanofluids have the potential to improve the overall efficiency of most solar collectors, however, the full potential of nanofluids in heat transfer applications cannot be completely achieved until some of the questions regarding hysteresis, stability, and the overall predictability of nanofluids are answered.
Highlights
As energy demands continue to increase exponentially, environmental concerns related to fossil fuel consumption are on the rise
The results showed that compared to deionized water, the thermal efficiency of the flat plate collectors (FPC) increased by 12.19% when graphene water nanofluid at 0.01% volume concentration was used
This study presents a review of the applications of nanofluids in four different solar thermal collectors
Summary
As energy demands continue to increase exponentially, environmental concerns related to fossil fuel consumption are on the rise. Our constantly improving understanding of conduction, convection, radiation, photoelectric effect, and the material sciences have enabled us to build more efficient solar collectors. Improvement in these devices has reduced dependence on conventional fossil fuels for energy. The solar thermal collector is a heat exchanger where a selective material absorbs radiation from the sun; this absorbed thermal energy is transferred to a working fluid (air, water, nanofluid, or oil) for use in other applications. Nanofluids presents a significant opportunity to improve the thermal efficiency of these heat collector systems. A comprehensive review of the application of nanofluids in solar collector systems is presented, and the current limitations to their application in solar collectors are discussed
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