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APPLICATIONS OF NANOFLUIDS IN SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMSTHEJAS SMtech Thermal EnggNIT Warangal

What are NANOFLUIDS?Colloidal suspensionsof nanoparticles in a basefluid.The nanoparticles are typically made of metals, oxides, carbides, orcarbon nanotubes. Common base fluids include water,ethylene glycoland oil.Examples 1.Aluminium,Copper or Al2O3 in water 2.Graphite in Therminol or Propylene Glycol 3.Multi wall carbon nanotubes in water

Why use NANOFLUIDS?Common fluids such as water, ethylene glycol, and heat transfer oil have relatively low thermal conductivity and thus cannot reach high heat exchange rates in thermal engineering devices.Nanofluids, compared to suspensions with particles of millimeter-or-micrometer size, show better stability, rheological properties, and considerably higher thermal conductivities.Greater scope for research and augmentation

Application in Solar Thermal SystemsSolar collectors are of particular kind of heat exchangers which absorbs the incoming solar radiation and convert it into thermal energy.

The use of nanofluids in solar water heaters is discussed with respect to two aspects1) Efficiency view point 2) Economic and Environmental view point

Application in Solar Ponds and Solar stills(Desalination and Water purification)

Nanofluids have an unprecedented combination of the four characteristic features desired in energy systems (fluid and thermal systems):1.Increased thermal conductivity (TC) at low nanoparticle concentrations2.Strong temperature-dependent TC3.Non-linear increase in TC with nanoparticle concentration 4.Increase in boiling critical heat flux (CHF)