Improving the thermal performance of flat-plate solar collectors for building applications through hybrid nanofluids and vortex-inducing geometries
This study presents a numerical investigation of the thermal-hydraulic performance and entropy generation characteristics of a flat plate solar collector enhanced by a novel hybrid nanofluid (GO-SiO2/Therminol VP-1) and an innovative vortex generator (VG) configuration. The effects of the Reynolds n...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Thermal Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25006379 |
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| Summary: | This study presents a numerical investigation of the thermal-hydraulic performance and entropy generation characteristics of a flat plate solar collector enhanced by a novel hybrid nanofluid (GO-SiO2/Therminol VP-1) and an innovative vortex generator (VG) configuration. The effects of the Reynolds number (Re = 19,000–76,000), hybrid nanofluid volume concentration (φ = 0–3.25 %), and VG geometric configuration (ψ = 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°) on the absorber tube's performance are systematically analyzed. The turbulent flow is simulated using the k-ε turbulence model, while the two-phase mixture approach is employed to accurately model the nanofluid behavior. The use of a new type and shape of VG in the studied geometry and the application of the two-phase mixture model to more accurately model the behavior of nanofluids are among the innovations of this study. The results indicated that increasing ψ enhances heat transfer by generating stronger vortices, leading to up to a 107.4 % improvement in the average Nusselt number compared to the base fluid without a VG. Entropy generation analysis revealed that while thermal entropy generation decreases by up to 9.54 % with an increase in ψ, frictional entropy generation increases by 11.28 %, emphasizing the trade-off between heat transfer augmentation and flow resistance. Among all tested configurations, ψ = 45° and a 3.25 % nanofluid concentration yield the highest performance evaluation criterion, demonstrating the best balance between heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop. |
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| ISSN: | 2214-157X |