Effect of Nano Fluids on the Thermal Performance and Efficiency of Linear Fresnel Collector in Hot Summer Months

One of the best and most important types of concentrating solar power plants is the linear Fresnel collector. The thermal performance and application of absorber in a solar power plant can be enhanced using direct steam generation technology. A particular discrepancy between the present study and others lies in our attempt at applying a new method for calculating critical heat flux based on Look-up Table. In the current study, effects of nanofluid on the length of the critical heat flux and convection heat transfer coefficient were investigated. The nanoparticles considered in this study were aluminum, silver, nickel, and titanium dioxide at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1 and 2 %. Modeling results revealed that the heat transfer coefficient increased upon enhancing the volumetric concentration of nanoparticles, thereby improving this coefficient at 2 vol. % nickel nanoparticles, which was 10.6 % above the value of pure water. On the other hand, thermal efficiency was enhanced when nickel nanoparticles were dispersed in pure water such that increase rates of thermal efficiency equaled 11.2, 10.8 and 11.3 % in the months of June, July, and August, respectively, when the volume concentration of nanoparticles was 0.5 %.