ENERGY AND ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF NANO

FLUID BASED SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS

Abstract
Use of solar energy for domestic and industrial water
heating applications is gaining popularity due to rising
cost of fossil fuels and also towards reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions. The thermophysical and
optical properties of conventional working fluids limit
the heat transfer efficiency of solar collector water
heating systems. The nanofluid based flat plate solar
collector water heating systems improve the performance
that not only increases the efficiency, but also results into
increased saving of fossil fuel energy. For a given
collector area, extra solar energy that can be captured is
estimated and resulting emission reduction through
saving of fossil fuel consumption has been estimated for
the country. Results of detailed sensitivity studies show
that nano-material cost, type and volume fraction has
predominant effect on the enhanced efficiency of
nanofluid based water heating system, life cycle net
benefits and payback period by replacing different
conventional fuel for water heating system.