Improvement of thermal, energy and exergy performance of flat panel solar collector by insertion of perforated strips and hybrid CuO-MWCNTs nanofluid
Solar electric-thermal systems are widely used around the world to exploit renewable energy. However, optimizing heat transfer efficiency (HTE) in solar thermal systems remains a significant challenge, particularly in enhancing the performance of flat plate solar collectors (FPSCs). This study addre...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Results in Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025021929 |
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| Summary: | Solar electric-thermal systems are widely used around the world to exploit renewable energy. However, optimizing heat transfer efficiency (HTE) in solar thermal systems remains a significant challenge, particularly in enhancing the performance of flat plate solar collectors (FPSCs). This study addresses this challenge by experimentally investigating the impact of twisted and perforated twisted tape turbulators on the efficiency of a solar collector using a hybrid nanofluid (NF) composed of copper oxide (CuO) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The innovative approach integrates galvanized iron turbulators with 4 mm-diameter perforations spaced 20 mm apart to minimize flow resistance while maximizing HTE. Experiments on collector tubes with varying twist ratios (2–5) revealed that the perforated twisted tape achieved a maximum HTE of over 67 % at a twist ratio of 2, representing a 25 % improvement over a baseline system. The system also achieved peak energy and exergy efficiencies of 86.34 % and 32.7 %, respectively, using the MWCNT-CuO hybrid NF. Furthermore, a techno-economic analysis showed that the CuO-MWCNT hybrid NF system achieved the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE) at 0.024 USD/kWh, confirming its cost-effectiveness. Environmental impacts of NF use were also considered, emphasizing the importance of closed-loop design and responsible nanoparticle management. These findings demonstrate that integrating hybrid NFs and turbulators can significantly enhance thermal and economic performance in solar thermal systems. |
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| ISSN: | 2590-1230 |