Research Article

Enhancing flat plate collectors’ efficiency by minimizing optical losses through vacuum glazing and ethylene glycol-diamond-alumina nanofluid

Volume: 11 Number: 2 March 24, 2025
  • Muhammad Shehram
  • Muhammad Najwan Hamidi *
  • Aeizaal Azman A. Wahab
  • M. K. Mat Desa

Enhancing flat plate collectors’ efficiency by minimizing optical losses through vacuum glazing and ethylene glycol-diamond-alumina nanofluid

Abstract

This study addresses the critical need to improve the efficiency of solar flat plate collectors (FPC) where the key factors influencing their performance include the choice of working fluids, exposure to sunlight, and minimizing heat loss. Carbon-based nanofluids, known for their exceptional thermal stability and heat transfer properties, emerge as a promising solution. This research presents an innovative approach by combining carbon-based (ethylene glycol-diamond) and metal-oxide-based (alumina) hybrid nanofluids to boost collector efficiency. Additionally, a two-step strategy is employed to reduce reflection losses. A triple glaze is applied to the collector’s top surface, followed by vacuum glazing. The latter, consisting of three layers of low-iron glass with an emissivity of 0.20 and a solar transmittance of 0.87 which reduces the glass thickness. This integration of vacuum glass and hybrid nanofluid results in an 82% increase in FPC efficiency. The nanofluids, with nanoparticles sized between 100 and 200 nm and material volume fractions of 0.3% for carbon-based and 0.1% for metal-oxide-based components, circulate at 4 L/min. Ethylene glycol has an energy efficiency of 58%, alumina 68%, and diamond nanofluids 71.8%. Heat transfer coefficients are 0.88 for ethylene glycol, 0.93 for alumina-based nanofluids, and 0.98 for diamond-based fluid. The hybrid nanofluids also exhibit heat loss ranging from 2.4 W/m.K to 4.0 W/m.K. Triple glaze vacuum layers achieve an efficiency peak of 82%, significantly reducing heat loss to 700W compared to single and double layers. The study utilizes Python in an Anaconda Jupyter notebook for detailed system modeling, facilitating thorough simulation of the system.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Muhammad Shehram This is me
0000-0003-2920-1730
Malaysia

Muhammad Najwan Hamidi * This is me
0000-0002-5286-552X
Malaysia

Aeizaal Azman A. Wahab This is me
0000-0001-5879-3312
Malaysia

M. K. Mat Desa This is me
0000-0002-3903-1133
Malaysia

Publication Date

March 24, 2025

Submission Date

January 8, 2024

Acceptance Date

July 3, 2024

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 11 Number: 2

APA
Shehram, M., Hamidi, M. N., Wahab, A. A. A., & Desa, M. K. M. (2025). Enhancing flat plate collectors’ efficiency by minimizing optical losses through vacuum glazing and ethylene glycol-diamond-alumina nanofluid. Journal of Thermal Engineering, 11(2), 550-576. https://doi.org/10.14744/thermal.0000932
AMA
1.Shehram M, Hamidi MN, Wahab AAA, Desa MKM. Enhancing flat plate collectors’ efficiency by minimizing optical losses through vacuum glazing and ethylene glycol-diamond-alumina nanofluid. Journal of Thermal Engineering. 2025;11(2):550-576. doi:10.14744/thermal.0000932
Chicago
Shehram, Muhammad, Muhammad Najwan Hamidi, Aeizaal Azman A. Wahab, and M. K. Mat Desa. 2025. “Enhancing Flat Plate Collectors’ Efficiency by Minimizing Optical Losses through Vacuum Glazing and Ethylene Glycol-Diamond-Alumina Nanofluid”. Journal of Thermal Engineering 11 (2): 550-76. https://doi.org/10.14744/thermal.0000932.
EndNote
Shehram M, Hamidi MN, Wahab AAA, Desa MKM (March 1, 2025) Enhancing flat plate collectors’ efficiency by minimizing optical losses through vacuum glazing and ethylene glycol-diamond-alumina nanofluid. Journal of Thermal Engineering 11 2 550–576.
IEEE
[1]M. Shehram, M. N. Hamidi, A. A. A. Wahab, and M. K. M. Desa, “Enhancing flat plate collectors’ efficiency by minimizing optical losses through vacuum glazing and ethylene glycol-diamond-alumina nanofluid”, Journal of Thermal Engineering, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 550–576, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.14744/thermal.0000932.
ISNAD
Shehram, Muhammad - Hamidi, Muhammad Najwan - Wahab, Aeizaal Azman A. - Desa, M. K. Mat. “Enhancing Flat Plate Collectors’ Efficiency by Minimizing Optical Losses through Vacuum Glazing and Ethylene Glycol-Diamond-Alumina Nanofluid”. Journal of Thermal Engineering 11/2 (March 1, 2025): 550-576. https://doi.org/10.14744/thermal.0000932.
JAMA
1.Shehram M, Hamidi MN, Wahab AAA, Desa MKM. Enhancing flat plate collectors’ efficiency by minimizing optical losses through vacuum glazing and ethylene glycol-diamond-alumina nanofluid. Journal of Thermal Engineering. 2025;11:550–576.
MLA
Shehram, Muhammad, et al. “Enhancing Flat Plate Collectors’ Efficiency by Minimizing Optical Losses through Vacuum Glazing and Ethylene Glycol-Diamond-Alumina Nanofluid”. Journal of Thermal Engineering, vol. 11, no. 2, Mar. 2025, pp. 550-76, doi:10.14744/thermal.0000932.
Vancouver
1.Muhammad Shehram, Muhammad Najwan Hamidi, Aeizaal Azman A. Wahab, M. K. Mat Desa. Enhancing flat plate collectors’ efficiency by minimizing optical losses through vacuum glazing and ethylene glycol-diamond-alumina nanofluid. Journal of Thermal Engineering. 2025 Mar. 1;11(2):550-76. doi:10.14744/thermal.0000932

IMPORTANT NOTE: JOURNAL SUBMISSION LINK http://eds.yildiz.edu.tr/journal-of-thermal-engineering