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Nanoscience & Nanotechnology-Asia

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 2210-6812
ISSN (Online): 2210-6820

Research Article

On the Nano-Additive Enhanced Flat Plate Solar Collector Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage

Author(s): Lukmon Owolabi Afolabi, Hussain H. Al-Kayiem* and Tesfamicheal B. Aklilu

Volume 7, Issue 2, 2017

Page: [172 - 182] Pages: 11

DOI: 10.2174/2210681207666170301143038

Price: $65

Abstract

Objective: Thermal efficiency of a flat plate solar collector incorporated with nanocomposite PCM-TES was experimentally studied in the present work. The augmentation of the PCM-TES, with nanocomposite, was examined to determine the ability of the collector to function after sunset, and over the night.

Method: Outdoor experimental measurement involved three different operational modes; namely, measurement without TES, measurement with PCM-TES incorporated and measurement with nanocomposite-TES integration. Furthermore, the system performance in terms of extension of the period for hot water production at night time was determined.

Conclusion: The experimental results revealed that the thermal efficiency was improved from 47.5% of without TES mode to 52.2% with PCM-TES mode. The nanocomposite- TES mode demonstrated increased thermal efficiency up to 57.5%. The other indication of performance enhancement was the extended period of hot water production beyond day time operation. At 7.00AM the next day, the water temperature measurement with PCM-TES case was 39.5 °C and while with nanocomposite-TES case the water temperature measurement was 43.5 °C. The mode of PCM-TES integration extended the hot water production at night time by approximately 5 hours while with nanocomposite-TES mode; the hot water production period was further extended by approximately 7.0 hours.

Keywords: Flat plate solar collector, integrated solar collector, PCM, TES, nano-additives, nanocomposite.

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