A Hybrid Nanofluid of Alumina and Tungsten Oxide for Performance Enhancement of a Parabolic Trough Collector under the Weather Conditions of Budapest
Recently, there has been significant interest in the thermal performance of parabolic trough collectors. They are capable of operating and generating highly variable temperature ranges, which can be used in various applications. This paper, therefore, addressed the thermal performance model of using...
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4946 |
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| author | Otabeh Al-Oran Ferenc Lezsovits |
| author_facet | Otabeh Al-Oran Ferenc Lezsovits |
| author_sort | Otabeh Al-Oran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recently, there has been significant interest in the thermal performance of parabolic trough collectors. They are capable of operating and generating highly variable temperature ranges, which can be used in various applications. This paper, therefore, addressed the thermal performance model of using a parabolic trough collector under the radiation intensity level found in Budapest city, as well as the effect of inserting a hybrid nanofluid as the thermal fluid. First, a new modified hybrid nanofluid of alumina and tungsten oxide-based Therminol VP1 is used to enhance the thermal properties of the thermal fluid to be more efficient to use. This enhancement is performed under various volume concentrations and has a volume fraction of 50:50. Second, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the thermal element, mathematical energy balance equations were solved and simulated using MATLAB Symbolic Tools. The simulation is presented for two cases: one under a constant radiation intensity and the other under the radiation intensity level of Budapest. For both cases, the results of the dimensionless Nusselt number, heat transfer coefficient, pressure drop, exergy efficiency, and energy efficiency are described. The major findings show that a volume concentration of 4% (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and WO<sub>3</sub>) based Therminol VP1 was the most efficient volume concentrations in both cases. For the first case, the maximum enhancement of the Nusselt number and the heat transfer coefficient are 138% and 169%, respectively. These results enhanced the thermal and exergy efficiencies by 0.39% and 0.385% at a temperature 600 K, flow rate of 150 L/min, and radiation intensity of 1000 W/m<sup>2</sup>. For the second case, the maximum exergy and energy values are recorded at midday under Budapest’s summer climatic conditions and reach 32.728% and 71.255%, respectively, under the optimum temperature of 500 K and flow rate of 150 L/min. Accordingly, the mean improvement in thermal and exergy efficiencies approximately equal to 0.25% at a high concentration, regardless of the season (summer or winter). |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:58:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
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| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-5eda1e22f8dd4da29412de4a42609eb02023-11-21T21:40:30ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172021-05-011111494610.3390/app11114946A Hybrid Nanofluid of Alumina and Tungsten Oxide for Performance Enhancement of a Parabolic Trough Collector under the Weather Conditions of BudapestOtabeh Al-Oran0Ferenc Lezsovits1Department of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Muegyetem rkp. 3., 1111 Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Muegyetem rkp. 3., 1111 Budapest, HungaryRecently, there has been significant interest in the thermal performance of parabolic trough collectors. They are capable of operating and generating highly variable temperature ranges, which can be used in various applications. This paper, therefore, addressed the thermal performance model of using a parabolic trough collector under the radiation intensity level found in Budapest city, as well as the effect of inserting a hybrid nanofluid as the thermal fluid. First, a new modified hybrid nanofluid of alumina and tungsten oxide-based Therminol VP1 is used to enhance the thermal properties of the thermal fluid to be more efficient to use. This enhancement is performed under various volume concentrations and has a volume fraction of 50:50. Second, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the thermal element, mathematical energy balance equations were solved and simulated using MATLAB Symbolic Tools. The simulation is presented for two cases: one under a constant radiation intensity and the other under the radiation intensity level of Budapest. For both cases, the results of the dimensionless Nusselt number, heat transfer coefficient, pressure drop, exergy efficiency, and energy efficiency are described. The major findings show that a volume concentration of 4% (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and WO<sub>3</sub>) based Therminol VP1 was the most efficient volume concentrations in both cases. For the first case, the maximum enhancement of the Nusselt number and the heat transfer coefficient are 138% and 169%, respectively. These results enhanced the thermal and exergy efficiencies by 0.39% and 0.385% at a temperature 600 K, flow rate of 150 L/min, and radiation intensity of 1000 W/m<sup>2</sup>. For the second case, the maximum exergy and energy values are recorded at midday under Budapest’s summer climatic conditions and reach 32.728% and 71.255%, respectively, under the optimum temperature of 500 K and flow rate of 150 L/min. Accordingly, the mean improvement in thermal and exergy efficiencies approximately equal to 0.25% at a high concentration, regardless of the season (summer or winter).https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4946solar energyparabolic trough collectorthermal performance enhancementradiation intensityhybrid nanofluidthermal efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Otabeh Al-Oran Ferenc Lezsovits A Hybrid Nanofluid of Alumina and Tungsten Oxide for Performance Enhancement of a Parabolic Trough Collector under the Weather Conditions of Budapest Applied Sciences solar energy parabolic trough collector thermal performance enhancement radiation intensity hybrid nanofluid thermal efficiency |
| title | A Hybrid Nanofluid of Alumina and Tungsten Oxide for Performance Enhancement of a Parabolic Trough Collector under the Weather Conditions of Budapest |
| title_full | A Hybrid Nanofluid of Alumina and Tungsten Oxide for Performance Enhancement of a Parabolic Trough Collector under the Weather Conditions of Budapest |
| title_fullStr | A Hybrid Nanofluid of Alumina and Tungsten Oxide for Performance Enhancement of a Parabolic Trough Collector under the Weather Conditions of Budapest |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Hybrid Nanofluid of Alumina and Tungsten Oxide for Performance Enhancement of a Parabolic Trough Collector under the Weather Conditions of Budapest |
| title_short | A Hybrid Nanofluid of Alumina and Tungsten Oxide for Performance Enhancement of a Parabolic Trough Collector under the Weather Conditions of Budapest |
| title_sort | hybrid nanofluid of alumina and tungsten oxide for performance enhancement of a parabolic trough collector under the weather conditions of budapest |
| topic | solar energy parabolic trough collector thermal performance enhancement radiation intensity hybrid nanofluid thermal efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4946 |
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