Performance enhancement of solar collector using strip inserts and with water based Al₂O₃/DI water nanofluids

ABSTRACT

The effectiveness of solar collector using conical strip inserts with Al₂O₃/Deionized (DI) water nanofluids is presented in this paper. The experiments were conducted under various volume concentration levels from 0.15% to 0.35% with the interval of 0.05% of the nanofluids coupled with conical strip inserts in the Reynolds number ranging between 4000 and 15000. A higher heat transfer enhancement was observed for 0.35% volume concentration. The heat transfer rate increased by 7.82% at the lowest Reynolds number and 22.34% at the highest Reynolds number. The heat transfer increased further in the presence of conical inserts. It was observed that the heat transfer got enhanced by 28.59% at the lowest Reynolds number and 59.89% at the highest Reynolds number. The combination of nanofluids/Conical strip inserts performed better than nanofluids with no inserts.

KEYWORDS:

• Al₂O₃
• solar collector
• strip inserts
• nanofluid
• friction factor
• Nusselt number

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Syed Jafer Kutbudeen

Syed Jafar Kutbudeen is working as an Assistant Professor in Department of mechanical engineering, Government college of engineering, Dharmapuri. He has more than 17 years of teaching and research experience. He is doing research in the area of Solar energy, Nanofluids and Heat transfer.

Kamaraj Logesh

Logesh Kamaraj, Assistant Professor working in the Mechanical Engineering Department, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. He has more than 8 years of teaching experience and his research interest includes Metal Forming, powder metallurgy, Hybrid composites, Nano materials and NDT

Arulprakasajothi Mahalingam

Arulprakasajothi Mahalingam, Professor working in the Mechanical Engineering Department, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. He has more than 14 years of teaching experience and his research interest includes Energy Storage- Nanomaterials for Energy and environment- IC Engines and Emissions-Air quality- Additive manufacturing for heat transfer applications.

I Vinoth kanna

I Vinothkanna, Assistant Professor working in the Mechanical Engineering Department, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. His research interest includes Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and Thermal Engineering systems