Modelling of a flat-plate solar collector using artificial neural networks for different working fluid (water) flow rates

The world is still dependent on fossil fuels as a continuous and stable energy source, but rising concerns for depletion of these fuels and the steady increase in demand for clean “green” energy have led to the rapid growth of the renewable energy field. As one of the most available energy sources with high energy conversion efficiency, solar energy is the most prominent of these energies as it also has the least effect on the environment. Flat plate collectors are the most common solar collectors, while their efficiency is limited by their absorber’s effectiveness in energy absorption and the transfer of this energy to the working fluid. The efficiency of flat plate solar collectors can be increased by using nanofluids as the working fluid. Nanofluids are a relatively recent development which can greatly enhance the thermophysical properties of working fluids. In the present study, the effect of using Al2O3/Water nanofluid as the working fluid on the efficiency of a thermosyphon flat-plate solar collector was experimentally investigated. The results of this experiment show an increase in efficiency when using nanofluids as the working fluid compared to distilled water. It was found that Al2O3/water nanofluids are a viable enhancement for the efficiency of flat-plate solar collectors.

Download Full-text

Heat transfer in a low latitude flat-plate solar collector

Thermal Science ◽

10.2298/tsci100419075o ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 583-591

Author(s):

C.O.C. Oko ◽

S.N. Nnamchi

Keyword(s):

Heat Transfer ◽

Flat Plate ◽

Solar Collector ◽

Design Parameters ◽

Working Fluid ◽

Fluid Temperature ◽

Port Harcourt ◽

Collector Efficiency ◽

One Year ◽

Flat Plate Solar Collector

Study of rate of heat transfer in a flat-plate solar collector is the main subject of this paper. Measurements of collector and working fluid temperatures were carried out for one year covering the harmattan and rainy seasons in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, which is situated at the latitude of 4.858oN and longitude of 8.372oE. Energy balance equations for heat exchanger were employed to develop a mathematical model which relates the working fluid temperature with the vital collector geometric and physical design parameters. The exit fluid temperature was used to compute the rate of heat transfer to the working fluid and the efficiency of the transfer. The optimum fluid temperatures obtained for the harmattan, rainy and yearly (or combined) seasons were: 317.4, 314.9 and 316.2 [K], respectively. The corresponding insolation utilized were: 83.23, 76.61 and 79.92 [W/m2], respectively, with the corresponding mean collector efficiency of 0.190, 0.205 and 0.197 [-], respectively. The working fluid flowrate, the collector length and the range of time that gave rise to maximum results were: 0.0093 [kg/s], 2.0 [m] and 12PM - 13.00PM, respectively. There was good agreement between the computed and the measured working fluid temperatures. The results obtained are useful for the optimal design of the solar collector and its operations.

Download Full-text

Numerical Investigation to Asses and Optimize Performance of Flat Plate Solar Collector by Using Different Working Fluid

Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences ◽

10.37934/arfmts.87.2.4455 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 87 (2) ◽

pp. 44-55

Author(s):

Yussra Malalah Abdula ◽

Gadeer Salim ◽

Salman K

Keyword(s):

Numerical Model ◽

Flat Plate ◽

Solar Collector ◽

Current Model ◽

Effective Means ◽

Industrial Applications ◽

Working Fluid ◽

Literature Study ◽

Maximum Temperatures ◽

Flat Plate Solar Collector

Sustainable energy becomes an optimal alternative to overcome environmental pollution economical cost of fossil fuel. One of the most effective means to invest solar radiation is flat plate solar collectors. A study carried out to optimize and assess the performance of flat plate solar collector (FPSC) for domestic and industrial applications in the Iraq climate. A 3D numerical model of FPSC has modeled by ANSYS19, CFD tool has been used to investigate thermal transfer through FPSC based on different working fluid. Water, and nanofluid of water/copper nanomaterials were used as working fluid with three different concentrations levels, 0.011 %, 0.055%, and 0,101 %. The velocity of water was 0.3, and 0.5 m/sec respectively. The result of the numerical model was compared with a literature study to prove the reliability of the current model. The result of the current study indicated that, adding Cu nanoparticular to the working fluid enhanced temperatures outlet of FPSC. Also, maximum temperatures can be achieved by reducing the velocity value.

Download Full-text

Leakage detection in water distribution networks using hybrid feedforward artificial neural networks

Journal of Water Supply Research and Technology—AQUA ◽

10.2166/aqua.2021.140 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hamideh Fallahi ◽

Mohammadreza Jalili Ghazizadeh ◽

Babak Aminnejad ◽

Jafar Yazdi

Keyword(s):

Neural Networks ◽

Artificial Neural Networks ◽

Water Demand ◽

Water Distribution ◽

Distribution Networks ◽

Simulation Software ◽

Water Distribution Networks ◽

Flow Rates ◽

Artificial Neural ◽

Matlab Programming

Abstract Water leakage control in water distribution networks (WDNs) is one of the main challenges of water utilities. The present study proposes a new method to locate a leakage in WDNs using feedforward artificial neural networks (ANNs). For this purpose, two ANNs training cases are considered. For case1, the ANNs are trained by average daily water demand, including small to large hypothetical leakages. In case 2, the ANNs are trained by hourly water demand and variable hourly nodal leakages over 24 hours. The training parameters are determined by EPANET2.0 hydraulic simulation software using MATLAB programming language. In both cases, first, ANNs are trained using flow rates of total pipes number. Then, sensitivity analysis is performed by hybrid ANNs for the flow rates of pipes number less than the number of the total pipes. The results of proposed hybrid ANNs indicate that if at least the flow rates of 10% of the total pipes are known (using flowmeters), then the leakage locations in both cases can be determined. Despite the complexity of case 2, because of the variations of demand and leakage over the 24-hour, the proposed method could detect the leakage location with high accuracy.

Download Full-text

Exergy Analysis of a Flat Plate Solar Collector With Grooved Absorber Tube Configuration Using Aqueous ZnO–Ethylene Glycol

Journal of Solar Energy Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.4040582 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 140 (6) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Yash Kashyap ◽

Apurva Singh ◽

Y. Raja Sekhar

Keyword(s):

Ethylene Glycol ◽

Flat Plate ◽

Solar Collector ◽

Volume Fraction ◽

Exergy Efficiency ◽

Working Fluid ◽

Plain Tube ◽

Collector Temperature ◽

Grooved Tube ◽

Flat Plate Solar Collector

In this study, the exergetic performance of a flat plate solar collector (FPSC) setup with ZnO-based ethylene glycol (EG)/water nanofluid as a working fluid has been evaluated against that of EG/water. As a passive means to augment the rate of heat transfer, internally grooved tubes of two different pitches (e = 0.43 and e = 0.44) have been examined and compared against the performance of plain tube. The mass flow rate was fixed at 0.015 kg/s and the volume fraction of ZnO nanoparticles is ф = 0.02% v/v. The results indicate an enhancement in exergy efficiency of 44.61% when using the grooved tube (e = 0.44) against plain tube without the nanofluid and 39.17% when nanofluid is used. Using the nanofluid enhanced the exergy efficiency of the FPSC by a maximum of 73.81%. Maximum exergy efficiency obtained was 5.95% for grooved tube (e = 0.44) with nanofluid as working fluid and is in good agreement with previous literature. Exergy destruction/irreversibility due to temperature differences and heat flow within the system has been reported. Sun-collector temperature difference accounts for nearly 86–94% of the irreversibility. The results for thermal efficiency of this experimental setup have been published and summarized in this study for reference.

Download Full-text

Analysing the Performance of a Flat Plate Solar Collector with Silver/Water Nanofluid Using Artificial Neural Network

Procedia Computer Science ◽

10.1016/j.procs.2016.07.178 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 93 ◽

pp. 33-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Ashly Maria Tomy ◽

Nizar Ahammed ◽

M.S.P. Subathra ◽

Lazarus Godson Asirvatham

Keyword(s):

Neural Network ◽

Artificial Neural Network ◽

Flat Plate ◽

Solar Collector ◽

Artificial Neural ◽

Flat Plate Solar Collector

Download Full-text

Performance of the Flat Plate Solar Collector Operated with Water-Al2O3 Nanofluid

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.831.181 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 831 ◽

pp. 181-187 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Janusz T. Cieśliński ◽

Bartosz Dawidowicz ◽

Aleksandra Popakul

Keyword(s):

Flat Plate ◽

Solar Collector ◽

Base Fluid ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Thermal Characteristics ◽

Working Fluid ◽

Solar Collectors ◽

Recent Method ◽

Flat Plate Solar Collector

Solar collectors is one of the technologies absorbing energy from solar beam and utilizing it for heating purposes, displacing the need to burn fossil fuels. There are many ways to improve effectiveness of the solar collectors [1,2]. Recent method to absorb more heat from the solar beam is to modify thermal characteristics of the working fluid. For this purpose one can use nanofluids, i.e. suspensions of metallic or nonmetallic nanoparticles in a base fluid [3].

Download Full-text

Numerical study of flat plate solar collector performance with square shape wicked evaporator

Al-Qadisiyah Journal for Engineering Sciences ◽

10.30772/qjes.v12i2.592 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 90-97

Author(s):

Basil Noori Merzah ◽

Majid H. Majeed ◽

Fouad A. Saleh

Keyword(s):

Flat Plate ◽

Heat Pipe ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Solar Collector ◽

Numerical Study ◽

Charge Ratio ◽

Working Fluid ◽

Evaporator Section ◽

Fill Charge Ratio ◽

Flat Plate Solar Collector

In this work, a system of a heat pipe is implemented to improve the performance of flat plate solar collector. The model is represented by square shape portion of the evaporator section of wicked heat pipe with a constant total length of 510 mm, and the evaporator section inclined by an angle of 30o. In this models the evaporator, adiabatic and condenser lengths are 140mm, 140mm, and 230mm respectively. The omitted energies from sunlight simulator are 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 W/m2 which is close to the normal solar energy in Iraq. The working fluid for all models is water with fill charge ratio of 240%. The efficiency of the solar collector is investigated with three values of condenser inlet water temperatures, namely (12, 16 and 20o C). The numerical result showed an optimum volume flow rate of cooling water in condenser at which the efficiency of collector is a maximum. This optimum agree well with the ASHRAE standard volume of flow rate for conventional tasting for flat plate solar collector. When the radiation incident increases the thermal resistance of wicked heat pipe is decreases, where the heat transfer from the evaporator to condenser increases. The numerical results showed the performance of solar collector with square shape evaporator greater than other types of evaporator as a ratio 15 %.

Download Full-text

Improving the Thermal Efficiency of Flat Plate Solar Collector Using Nano-Fluids as a Working Fluids: A Review

Iraqi Journal of Industrial Research ◽

10.53523/ijoirvol8i3id86 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Saif Ali Kadhim ◽

Osama Abd AL-Munaf Ibrahim

Keyword(s):

Flat Plate ◽

Thermal Efficiency ◽

Solar Collector ◽

Base Fluid ◽

Working Fluid ◽

Solar Collectors ◽

Nano Fluid ◽

Flat Plate Solar Collector ◽

Nano Fluids ◽

Better Than

Solar energy is one of the most important types of renewable energy and is characterized by its availability, especially in Iraq. It can be used in many applications, including supply thermal energy by solar collectors. Improving the thermal efficiency of solar collector leads to an increase in the thermal energy supplied. Using a nano-fluid instead of base fluid (water is often used) as a working fluid is a method many used to increase the thermal efficiency of solar collectors. In this article, the latest research that used nano-fluid as a working fluid in evaluating the thermal efficiency of solar collector, type flat plate was reviewed. The thermal efficiency improvement of flat plate solar collector was reviewed based on the type of nanoparticles (metal oxides, semiconductors oxides, carbon compounds) used in the base fluid and comparison was made between these nanoparticles under the same conditions. Moreover, the effect of varying the concentration of nanoparticles in the base fluid and changing the working fluid flow rate on the thermal efficiency of flat plate solar collector was also reviewed. The results of the review showed that nano-fluids containing carbon compounds are better than other nano-fluids and that copper oxide is better than the rest of the metal oxides used in improving the thermal efficiency of flat plate solar collectors.

Download Full-text