Nanofluid-based Solar Thermal System: Uniform Temperature Distribution and Reduced Convection Losses
Nanofluid-based Solar Thermal System: Uniform Temperature Distribution and Reduced Convection Losses
In a nanofluid-based solar thermal system, the suspension of nanoparticles in the base fluid increases the solar absorptivity for volumetric absorption, which results in better efficiency compared to conventional flat plate collectors. However, a temperature gradient exists in the nanofluid volume while irradiated in the gravitational direction. In this context, it has been observed that if the irradiation is provided from the opposite direction to gravity, it can introduce natural convection due to the buoyancy, intensified Brownian motion, and thermophoresis effect in nanofluid. This overall phenomenon leads to maintaining a uniform temperature along the depth of the nanofluid.
In a nanofluid-based solar thermal system, the suspension of nanoparticles in the base fluid increases the solar absorptivity for volumetric absorption, which results in better efficiency compared to conventional flat plate collectors. However, a temperature gradient exists in the nanofluid volume while irradiated in the gravitational direction. In this context, it has been observed that if the irradiation is provided from the opposite direction to gravity, it can introduce natural convection due to the buoyancy, intensified Brownian motion, and thermophoresis effect in nanofluid. This overall phenomenon leads to maintaining a uniform temperature along the depth of the nanofluid.
