Potential of Solar Collectors for Clean Thermal Energy Production in Smart Cities using Nanofluids: Experimental Assessment and Efficiency Improvement
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Experimental
2.1. Preparation, Quality Tests and Physical Properties
- Disperse the desire mass of carbon nanoparticles into acetone using magnetic stirrer at 250 rpm;
- Add an anionic surfactant, Nonyl Phenol Ethoxilate (NPE) (at vol.% = 0.1 of total prepared nanofluid);
- Set pH of the nanofluid to a value, in which the highest zeta potential was observed. After setting the pH value of each sample, to measure the zeta potential, the sample was assessed with a zeta sizer digital light scattering device manufactured by Malvern CO (Malvern, UK). So, the measurement was carried out after the pH was regulated using the buffer solution.
- Sonicate the nanofluid to disperse the particles uniformly; inside the working fluid.
2.1.1. Surface Area and Particle Size
2.1.2. Structure and Composition
2.1.3. Morphology
2.1.4. Thermo-Physical Properties
2.2. Experimental Setup
2.2.1. Experimental Setup
2.2.2. Data Reduction and Uncertainty Analysis
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Solar Irradiance and Ambient Temperature
3.2. Tilt Angle and Filling Ratio
3.3. Collector’s Flow Rate
3.4. Temperature Difference
3.5. Evaporator’s Surface
4. Conclusions
- Carbon nanoparticles were stable up to 10 days within acetone and provided a significant change in the thermo-physical properties of the acetone. The thermal conductivity enhancement of the nanofluid improved the heat transfer mechanism in the HP and enhanced the TP of the collector. The maximum thermal efficiency of 91% was achieved which was well above the average thermal performance of the current collectors working with conventional working fluid (e.g., 72.6% for an acetone solar collector).
- By increasing the mass fraction of the nanofluid, the TP and the TD of the collector increased. The thermal efficiency could reach 0.91 and the maximum TD of 20 °C was obtained at flow rate of 3.0 L/min.
- The deposition of the nanoparticles on the internal wall of the evaporator created an irregular coating on the surface, which was a suitable medium for the nucleation and the formation of the bubbles. Besides the augmentation in the thermal conductivity of acetone, this irregular surface can intensify the bubble formation and their interaction, which resulted in the improvement of the HTC in the evaporator section.
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Parameter | Instrument | Uncertainty |
---|---|---|
G | Pyranometer, EKO | ±1% of reading value (W/m2) |
Temperature | Omega k type thermocouple | ±1 (°C) |
Ambient temperature | RTD, PT-100 Omega | ±0.5 (°C) |
Flow rate | FLownetix ultrasonic sensor | 1% of reading value (L/min) |
Tilt angle | EuropacTM Inclinometer | ±0.1 (degree) |
Weight | A&D balancer | ±1% of reading value (g) |
Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Tube’s gross area | 1.75 m2 |
Tube’s aperture area | 0.77 m2 |
Total liquid capacity of the tube | 0.4 lit |
Absorbance | 0.91 |
Emission parameter | 0.04 |
Collector’s dimension (L × H × W) | 2 × 0.15 × 0.9 m |
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Sarafraz, M.M.; Tlili, I.; Abdul Baseer, M.; Safaei, M.R. Potential of Solar Collectors for Clean Thermal Energy Production in Smart Cities using Nanofluids: Experimental Assessment and Efficiency Improvement. Appl. Sci. 2019, 9, 1877. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9091877
Sarafraz MM, Tlili I, Abdul Baseer M, Safaei MR. Potential of Solar Collectors for Clean Thermal Energy Production in Smart Cities using Nanofluids: Experimental Assessment and Efficiency Improvement. Applied Sciences. 2019; 9(9):1877. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9091877
Chicago/Turabian StyleSarafraz, M. M., Iskander Tlili, Mohammad Abdul Baseer, and Mohammad Reza Safaei. 2019. "Potential of Solar Collectors for Clean Thermal Energy Production in Smart Cities using Nanofluids: Experimental Assessment and Efficiency Improvement" Applied Sciences 9, no. 9: 1877. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9091877