A Novel Similarity Solution Approach Based Thermal Performance Prediction and Environmental Analysis of Evacuated U-Tube Solar Collector Employing Different Mono/Hybrid Nanofluids

Abstract

In this article, a novel similarity function-based two-dimensional steady-state model is developed to analyze the thermal performance of an individual evacuated U-tube solar collector (EUTC). Using the developed model, the energy and environment assessments of a EUTC have been carried out employing different water-based mono/hybrid nanofluids as energy exchange fluids (EEF). The influence of nanoparticle volume concentration on energy gain, mass flow rate reduction, and efficacy has been analyzed. The influence of Reynolds number on energy gain is also investigated. The results show that Al₂O₃+MWCNT (multiwalled carbon nanotube) has high energy gain, whereas MgO has high mass flow reduction compared to water as a base fluid at 2% volume concentration. The efficacy of EUTC has been enhanced using nanoparticles as an additive. Employing Al₂O₃+MWCNT as EEF, the impact of EEF flow rate, EEF inlet temperature, ambient temperature, and solar intensity on the energy gain and efficacy of EUTC have been analyzed. It is observed that solar intensity and ambient temperature have major and minimum influence on EUTC performance.

Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela-769008, India for providing computational facilities and resources for carrying out the research work. The authors also acknowledge ICFAMMT 2022 for giving us an opportunity to participate in a high-end conference and present our manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No conflict of interest has been reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bukke Kiran Naik

Bukke Kiran Naik is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering Department at NIT Rourkela since 2020. He received both his Ph.D. (2019) and M-Tech (2014) from IIT Guwahati in Mechanical Engineering. He worked as a Queen Elizabeth Postdoctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University, Canada during 2019–2020 and as Project Engineer at IIT Guwahati in 2019. Further, he was selected as Young Indian Scientist to the 6th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) conclave 2021 in the thematic area of energy solutions and he also received an INAE fellowship for working as a visiting researcher at IIT Kanpur.

Rajen Sutradhar

Rajen Sutradhar is a B. Tech. final year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela. His research interests are heat transfer and fluid flow, analysis of solar collectors, and different nanofluids.

Gaurav Priyadarshi

Gaurav Priyadarshi is a research scholar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela. He received his M-Tech (Thermal) in Mechanical Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra in 2018. He completed his B-Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore in 2015. His research interests are solid desiccant dehumidification and regeneration systems, air conditioning, heat exchanger analysis, solar collectors, design, and performance optimization of thermal systems, He has filled one Indian design patent.

Aditya Prafull Narkhede

Aditya Prafull Narkhede is a research scholar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka. He received his M. Tech. (Cryogenics& Vacuum Technology) in Mechanical Engineering from National Institute of Technology Rourkela in 2020. He completed his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, Aurangabad in 2017. His research interests are fluid flow & heat transfer through porous media, solar collectors, aerodynamic study of gas bearings, and study of gasbag polishing tools.