Experimental analysis on the influence of internal finning on the efficiency of a solar flat plate collector using Al2O3 nanoparticles

Dinesh Babu Munuswamy; Venkata Ramanan Madhavan

doi:10.1515/jnet-2015-0016

Article

Experimental analysis on the influence of internal finning on the efficiency of a solar flat plate collector using Al₂O₃ nanoparticles

Dinesh Babu Munuswamy and Venkata Ramanan Madhavan

Published/Copyright: August 11, 2015

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From the journal Journal of Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics Volume 40 Issue 3

Abstract

Two collectors with the same area of 945×420 mm have been designed and fabricated: one flat plate collector with internally grooved fins inserted inside the riser tubes and the other one with plain riser tubes. Provisions were made for inserting the T-type thermocouples at six different locations to monitor temperature variations inside the riser tubes of the collector. The two identical systems of collectors (finned and unfinned tube) were initially run with base working fluid (water) and then with Al₂O₃ nanoparticles with a size of 40 nm for different weight fractions of 0.2% and 0.4% in incremental order to study the effect on the efficiency of collectors. Mixing of nanoparticles in water thus improves the efficiency of the collector. Results show the efficiency of finned tube collector using the nanoparticles and water is substantially higher when compared to that of unfinned riser tubes collector.

Keywords: Solar flat plate collector; internal finning; Al2O3 nanoparticles; efficiency

Received: 2015-3-30

Revised: 2015-6-16

Accepted: 2015-7-7

Published Online: 2015-8-11

Published in Print: 2015-9-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jnet-2015-0016

Keywords for this article

Solar flat plate collector; internal finning; Al2O3 nanoparticles; efficiency