Thermal Conductivity Enhancement of Ag/MCM-41 Hybrid Nanofluid for Solar Photothermal Applications
Discuss this preprint
Start a discussion What are Sciety discussions?Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
We studied thermal properties of silver nanoparticle and mesoporous silica (MCM-41) nanofluid in aqueous solution and evaluates its potential for enhancing solar thermal system performance. FE-SEM, EDS, and Zeta-potential confirmed the successful preparation of the hybrid nanofluid. Experimental conditions were optimized via Box-Behnken design and thermal conductivities were experimentally measured using a KD2 Pro device (from 30°C to 50°C). Under optimal conditions (79.11 ppm Ag, 746.08 ppm MCM-41 at 50°C), results demonstrated a 13.44% improvement compared to water. Further theoretical calculations and TRNSYS simulations assessed the nanofluid's performance in a solar collector model. Data suggest an increase of 1.26% and 6.05% (vs. water) in the solar collector's thermal efficiency and the convection heat transfer coefficient, respectively. Conventional fluids are less satisfactory with low thermal conductivity and instability at high temperatures. Here, Ag/MCM-41 hybrid nanofluid is a promising medium for improving heat transfer in solar thermal systems and potentially other industrial applications.