Study of the Impact of PV-Thermal and Nanofluids on the Desalination Process by Flashing

Abstract

In this study, a mathematical and numerical modeling of the photovoltaic (PV)-thermal solar system to power the multistage flashing chamber process is presented. The proposed model was established after the mass and energy conservation equations written for finite control volume were integrated with properties of the water and nanofluids. The nanofluids studied and presented herein are Ai2O3, CuO, Fe3O4, and SiO2. The multiple flashing chamber process was studied under various conditions, including different solar radiation levels, brine flows and concentrations, and nanofluid concentrations as well as flashing chamber temperatures and pressures. Solar radiation levels were taken as 500 w/m2, 750 w/m2, 1000 w/m2, and finally, 1200 w/m2. The nanofluid volumetric concentrations considered varied from 1% to 20%. There is clear evidence that the higher the solar radiation, the higher the flashed flow produced. The results also clearly show that irreversibility is reduced by using nanofluid Ai2O3 at higher concentrations of 10% to 20% compared to water as base fluid. The highest irreversibility was experienced when water was used as base fluid and the lowest irreversibility was associated with nanofluid SiO2. The irreversibility increase depends upon the type of nanofluid and its thermodynamic properties. Furthermore, the higher the concentration (e.g., from 10% to 20% of Ai2O3), the higher the availability at the last flashing chamber. However, the availability is progressively reduced at the last flashing chamber. Finally, the predicted results compare well with experimental data published in the literature.

Review of Magnetized Nanofluids in Solar-Based-Desalination with Thermal Storage

“…The challenges of such integrated systems are addressed as well. A conceptual design for a Photovoltaic Thermal (PV/T) solar panel has been developed and analyzed, to control the inherent temperature increase of PV cells to increase electrical efficiency [14][15][16][17]. The mathematical model for a Multistage Flash (MSF) desalination system with Brine Recirculation (BR) configuration has been developed and presented and the heat source for BR-MSF was described as a nanofluid-based direct absorption solar collector (DASC.…”

“…More recently Sami S [15] presented in his study solar flash desalination using PV-Thermal solar panels and nanofluids, modeling of the Photovoltaic (PV)-thermal solar system to drive the multistage flashing chamber process and based on the mass and energy conservation balances written for finite control volume and integrated with the properties of the water and nanofluids. The nanofluids studied are AI 2 O 3 , CuO, Fe 3 O 4 , and SiO 2 .…”