Thermal performance enhancement of a flat plate solar collector using hybrid nanofluid

• Published in: Solar energy Vol. 204; pp. 208 - 222
• Main Authors: Hussein, Omar A., Habib, Khairul, Muhsan, Ali S., Saidur, R., Alawi, Omer A., Ibrahim, Thamir K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2020; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Boron; Boron nitride; Distilled water; Flat plate solar collector; Flat plates; Flow rates; Flow velocity; Graphene; Hybrid nanofluid; Multi wall carbon nanotubes; Nanofluids; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes; Performance enhancement; Solar collectors; Solar energy; Spectrometry; Thermal efficiency; Thermal energy; Thermo-physical properties; Thermodynamic efficiency; Thermophysical properties; Working fluids; Thermal efficiency; Flat plate solar collector; Thermo-physical properties; Hybrid nanofluid
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2020.04.034

•Experimental hybrid nanofluid based flat plate solar collector was studied.•New hybrid nanofluid increased the outlet temperature compared with water.•A significant enhancement in thermal conductivity of new hybrid nanofluid was observed.•Using new hybrid nanofluid improves the FPSCs efficiency by about 20% higher than DW at medium temperature differences. Covalent Functionalized-Multi wall carbon nanotubes (CF-MWCNTs) and Covalent Functionalized-graphene nanoplatelets (CF-GNPs) with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) were suspended in distilled water to prepare the hybrid nanofluids as working fluids inside the Flat Plate Solar Collector (FPSC). Different concentrations of the hybrid nanoparticles were considered and Tween-80 (Tw-80) was used as a surfactant. The stability and thermophysical properties were tested using different measurement tools. The structural and morphological properties were examined using FTIR, XRD, UV–vis spectrometry, HRTEM, FESEM, and EDX. The thermal efficiency of FPSC were tested under different volumetric flow rates (2 L/min, 3 L/min, and 4 L/min), whereas the efficiency of the collector was determined based on ASHRAE standard 93-2010. As a result, the most thermal-efficient solar collector improved up to 85% with hybrid nanofluid as the absorption medium at 4 L/min flow rate. Increment in nanoparticles’ concentrations enhanced thermal energy gain and resulted in higher fluid outlet temperature.