Experimental investigation on a solar parabolic collector using water-based multi-walled carbon-nanotube with low volume concentrations

Vinayak Talugeri; Nagaraj Basavaraj Pattana; Veeranna Basawannappa Nasi; Kiran Shahapurkar; Manzoore Elahi Mohammad Soudagar; Tansir Ahamad; Md Abul Kalam; Kiran Madrahalli Chidanandamurthy; Nabisab Mujawar Mubarak; Rama Rao Karri

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-34529-6

Experimental investigation on a solar parabolic collector using water-based multi-walled carbon-nanotube with low volume concentrations

Sci Rep. 2023 May 6;13(1):7398. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-34529-6.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology (Affiliated to VTU), Bangalore, 560054, India. vinayaktalugeri@gmail.com.
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology (Affiliated to VTU), Bangalore, 560054, India.
³ Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, 1888, Adama, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of VLSI Microelectronics, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, 602105, India.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, FEIT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
⁷ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Yelahanka, Bangalore, 560064, India.
⁸ Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam. mubarak.yaseen@gmail.com.
⁹ Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam.

Abstract

A limited experimental work was on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-water nanofluid with surfactant in the solar parabolic collector at low volume concentrations. At high-volume concentrated nanofluid, the pressure drop was more due to an increase in the viscosity of the working fluid and an increase in the nanoparticle cost; hence it is not economical. This report attempted to use Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate (SDBS) surfactant in the low-volume concentrated MWCNT-water nanofluid to establish effective heat transfer in solar parabolic collector applications. The stable MWCNT-water nanofluid was prepared at 0.0158, 0.0238, and 0.0317 volume concentrations. The experiments were conducted from 10:00 to 16:00 at 6, 6.5 and 7 L/min flow rates concerning ASHRAE Standards. At the 7 L/min flow rate of the working fluid, having a minimum temperature difference between the working fluid and absorber tube leads to better heat transfer. The increased volume concentration of MWCNT in the water enhances the surface area interaction between water and MWCNT nanoparticles. This results in maximum solar parabolic collector efficiency at 0.0317 vol% with a 7 L/min flow rate and 10-11% higher than the distilled water.