Optical and Transport Properties of Metal−Oil Nanofluids for Thermal Solar Industry: Experimental Characterization, Performance Assessment, and Molecular Dynamics Insights

Year: 2021

Authors: Carrillo-Berdugo I., Estellé P., Sani E., Mercatelli L., Grau-Crespo R., Zorrilla D., Navas J.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Cadiz, Fac Ciencias, Dept Quim Fis, E-11510 Cadiz, Spain; Univ Rennes, LGCGM, F-35000 Rennes, France; CNR, INO Natl Inst Opt, I-150125 Florence, Italy; Univ Reading, Dept Chem, Reading RG6 6DX, Berks, England.

Abstract: Concentrating solar power (CSP) technology can become a very valuable contributor to the transformation and decarbonization of our energy landscape, but for this technology to overcome the barrier toward market deployment, significant enhancements in the solar-to-thermal-to-electric energy conversion efficiency are needed. Here, an in-depth experimental analysis of the optical and transport properties of Pd-containing aromatic oilbased nanofluids is presented, with promising results for their prospective use as volumetric absorbers and heat transfer fluids in next-generation parabolic-trough CSP plants. A 0.030 wt % concentration of Pd nanoplates increases sunlight extinction by 90% after 20 mm propagation length and thermal conductivity by 23.5% at 373 K, which is enough to increase the overall system efficiency up to 45.3% and to reduce pumping requirements by 20%, with minimum increases in the collector length. In addition to that, molecular dynamics simulations are used to gain atomistic-level insights about the heat and momentum transfer in these nanofluids, with a focus on the role played by the solid−liquid interface in these phenomena. Molecules chemisorbed at the interface behave as a shelter-like boundary that hinders heat conduction, as a high thermal resistance path, and minimizes the impact of the solid on dynamic viscosity, as it weakens the interactions between the nanoplate and the surrounding nonadsorbed fluid molecules.

Journal/Review: ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING

Volume: 9 (11)      Pages from: 4194  to: 4205

More Information: I.C.-B. acknowledges FPU16/02425 studentship from Ministerio de Universidades del Gobierno de Espana. J.N. acknowledges Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion del Gobierno de Espana for funding under grant no. RTI2018096393-B-I00 and for financial support related to the measurement of thermal properties with devices acquired under grant no. UNCA15-CE-2945. This work made use of CAI3, the high-performance computing service at Universidad de Cadiz.
KeyWords: nanofluids, concentrated solar power, thermal performance, molecular dynamics, sunlight extinction
DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c00053

ImpactFactor: 9.224
Citations: 11
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