Experimental Investigation on Evacuated Tube Solar Collector Using  Biofluid as Heat Transfer Fluid

Lukmon Owolabi Afolabi; Oluwafunke Afolabi-Owolabi; Abdulhafid M Elfaghi; Djamal Hissein  Didane; Mohammed Ghaleb Awadh; Al-Mahmodi Akram

Authors

Lukmon Owolabi Afolabi Center for Energy & Industrial Environment Studies (CEIES), Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, Malaysia
Oluwafunke Afolabi-Owolabi Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Rufos Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria
Abdulhafid M Elfaghi Center for Energy & Industrial Environment Studies (CEIES), Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, MalaysiaCenter for Energy & Industrial Environment Studies (CEIES), Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, Malaysia
Djamal Hissein Didane Center for Energy & Industrial Environment Studies (CEIES), Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, Malaysia
Mohammed Ghaleb Awadh Center for Energy & Industrial Environment Studies (CEIES), Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, Malaysia
Al-Mahmodi Akram Center for Energy & Industrial Environment Studies (CEIES), Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, Malaysia

Keywords:

Evacuated tube solar collector, biofluid, heat transfer fluid, solar radiation, thermophysical properties

Abstract

Bio-oil extracted from waste of different plant kernel was used as heat transfer fluid in evacuated tube solar collector. Thermal performance of the biofluids to the enhancement of the evacuated tube solar collector under varying weather conditions and experimental analysis was carried-out. Thermal analysis on the storage water tank temperature, outlet and inlet heat transfer fluid temperature, and heat gains by was studied. In addition, the biofluids thermophysical properties and degradation analysis was conducted and compared with conventional base-fluids. From the results the biofluids caused enhancement of heat gain in the collector receiver by 9.5%, 6.4% and 3.2% for moringa oleifera kernel oil (MOKO), date kernel oil (DKO) and palm kernel oil (PKO), respectively. The storage water tank temperature at night fall was 53, 49, 51 and 47oC, for the MOKO, DKO, PKO and water HTFs, respectively. The biofluids were thermal stable and with no degradation. The biofluids demonstrated potentials as heat transfer fluids in thermal applications but there are needs for more investigations on their enhancement with organically synthesized nano particles to preserve there no corrosive and toxicity nature, and experimental performance on heat exchangers after several heating cycles.