Energy and Exergy Analysis of Using Turbulator in a Parabolic Trough Solar Collector Filled with Mesoporous Silica Modified with Copper Nanoparticles Hybrid Nanofluid

Sara Rostami, Amin Shahsavar, Gholamreza Kefayati and Aysan Shahsavar Goldanlou
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Sara Rostami: Laboratory of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, Advanced Institute of Materials Science, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Amin Shahsavar: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah 6715685420, Iran
Gholamreza Kefayati: School of Engineering, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7005, Australia
Aysan Shahsavar Goldanlou: Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: Designing the most efficient parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) is still a demanding and challenging research area in solar energy systems. Two effective recommended methods for this purpose that increase the thermal characteristics of PTSCs are adding turbulators and nanofluids. To study the effects of the two approaches on the energy efficiency of PTSCs, a stainless steel turbulator was used and solid nanoparticles of Cu/SBA-15 were added to the water with the volume concentrations of 0.019% to 0.075%. The generated turbulence in the fluid flow was modeled by the SST k–ω turbulent model. The results in daylight demonstrated that energy efficiency increases steadily by 11:30 a.m., and then, starts to drop gradually due to more irradiations at noon. It was observed that applying the turbulator to the studied PTSC has a significant influence on the enhancement of energy efficiency. Adding the nanoparticles augmented the average Nusselt number inside the solar collector in various studied Reynolds numbers. It was also found that the increase in volume concentrations of nanoparticles enhances heat transfer regularly.

Keywords: parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC); hybrid nanofluid; mesoporous silica modified with copper; energy efficiency; exergy efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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