Analysis of Nanofluids Behavior in a PV-Thermal-Driven Organic Rankine Cycle with Cooling Capability

Abstract

This paper discusses the performance of nanofluids in a PV Thermal-driven Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) with cooling capabilities. This study was intended to investigate the enhancement effect and characteristics of nanofluids; Al2O3, CuO, Fe3O4 and SiO2 on the performance the hybrid system composed of PV Thermal, ORC and cooling coil. The quaternary refrigerant mixture used in the ORC cycle to enhance the ORC efficiency is an environmentally sound refrigerant mixture composed of R152a, R245fa, R125, and R1234fy. It was shown that the enhancement of the efficiency of the hybrid system in question is significantly dependent upon not only the solar radiation but also the nanofluids concentration and the type of nanofluid as well as the fluid temperature driving the ORC. A higher hybrid system efficiency has been overserved with nanofluid CuO. Moreover, it has been also shown that on the average, the hybrid system efficiency was higher 17% with nanofluid CuO compared to water as the heat transfer fluid. In addition, it was also observed that the higher cooling effect produced is significantly increased with the use of the nanofluid CuO compared to the other nanofluids under investigation and water as heat transfer fluid. The results observed in this paper on ORC efficiency and PV solar panel efficiency are comparable to what has been published in the literature.

Nanofluids as a Waste Heat Recovery Medium: A Critical Review and Guidelines for Future Research and Use

“…The utilization of graphene and carbon nanotubes aqueous nanofluids as engine coolant enhanced waste heat recovery, having a net power output of nearly 3.8 in two different organic Rankine cycle configurations [117]. The use of silica, alumina, copper oxide, and iron oxide aqueous nanofluids for cooling photovoltaic panels to drive the organic Rankine cycle revealed a 17% enhancement in the efficiency of the system with copper oxide aqueous nanofluids [118]. Also, multi-walled carbon nanotubes dispersed in oil have been used for solar energy storage from solar concentrators attaining a total system efficiency of 21.4% in reference to that of 18.9% attained with the oil base fluid alone [119].…”

“…The authors noted that the organic Rankine cycle with copper oxide nanofluids demonstrated a better economic performance than that demonstrated by the alumina nanofluids. Furthermore, the author Sami [118] studied the thermal performance of a hybrid system composed of photovoltaic/thermal, organic Rankine cycle, and cooling coil using silica, alumina, copper oxide, and iron oxide nanofluids in a waste heat boiler of the organic Rankine cycle. Among the different heat transfer fluids, the copper oxide nanofluids provided the highest efficiency and greater cooling effect, increasing the efficiency of the hybrid system by around 17%.…”

Impact of Magnetic Field on the Dynamic Performance of Photovoltaic-Thermal Panel with Nanofluids

“…Currently, the efficiency of commercial solar PV is up to 15%, and most of the incoming solar radiation energy is either absorbed or reflected and significant excess heat is dissipated and wasted. To improve the solar PV's efficiency a novel concept of combined photovoltaic-thermal solar panel hybrid system concept using nanofluids has been developed [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. It is a simple hybrid system where the PV cells are cooled through water-based nanofluids flows.…”

Impact of the Magnetic Field on the Performance of Heat Pipes Driven by a Photovoltaic–Thermal Panel with Nanofluids

“…Nanofluids have excellent thermal conductivity [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] and have been applied as the working fluids in traditional heat pipe applications to enhance thermal performance. "In the presence of an external magnetic field, the thermal conductivity of magnetite nanofluids increases with the increase in the volumetric concentration of magnetic particles, which is associated with the increase in the magnetic field strength" [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24].…”