Abstract
The rapid depletion of conventional energy sources and scarcity of fossil fuels are the major energy concerns. The renewable energy such as solar powered energy can be harnessed by using solar flat plate collector. A solar flat plate collector collects heat by absorbing heat from solar radiation. The performance of solar flat plate collector mainly depends upon the characteristics of working fluid. Conventional solar flat plate collector uses water as heat transfer fluid but it gives lower thermal efficiency. Nanofluids have superior thermal and optical properties that can be used to increase heat transfer rate. So our aim is to design and develop solar flat plate collector using Nanofluid as heat transfer fluid. 1. Introduction
1.1. (a) Introduction - Flat Plate Collector
A solar thermal collector collects heat by absorbing heat from sunlight. A collector is a device for capturing solar radiation.
Flat plate collector consists of:
1) a dark flat-plate absorber,
2) a transparent cover that reduces heat losses,
3) a heat-transport fluid (air, antifreeze or water) to remove heat from the absorber, and
4) a heat insulating backing.
In water heat panels, fluid is usually circulated through tubing to transfer heat from the absorber to an insulated water tank. This may be achieved directly or through a heat exchanger.
1.1 (b) Introduction of Nanofluid
A Nanofluid is a fluid containing nanometer-sized particles, called Nanoparticles. These fluids are engineered
Both water and homes have been heated by passive solar energy since 1882. Passive solar energy technology can best be described as thermal windows and orientation of buildings to receive the maximum amount of sunlight during the course of a day. Active heating, which utilizes solar panels, is largely a development of the 20th century. Although heating homes is a necessity during winter months, Texas needs to develop a way to cool buildings during much of the year due to high humidity and scorching temperatures. Cooling using solar energy is possible but complex since it requires an indirect technique to extract heat. The solar cooling technology was first displayed on a large scale at Trinity University in San Antonio during 1977. Texas Tech University was the first institution to develop a moderately sized solar-electric power plant in the United States. The solar-electric power plant developed by Texas Tech replaced the diesel-fueled generators used to power the City of Crosbyton. The device used to harness solar energy and convert solar radiation into electricity has been modified for usage at the Johnson and Johnson plant in Sherman, Texas as an economical electricity generating alternative (Wilder, 2013).
There are four types of concentrated solar plant technologies: Parabolic Trough, Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector, Power Towers, and a Dish-Engine. As Solar Energy Industries Association explains, “Parabolic trough systems use curved mirrors to focus the sun’s energy onto a receiver tube that runs down the center of a trough. In the receiver tube, a high-temperature heat transfer fluid (such as a synthetic oil) absorbs the sun’s energy, reaching temperatures of 750°F or even higher, and passes through a heat exchanger to heat water and produce steam. The steam drives a conventional steam turbine power system to generate
Fossil fuels and other power generates are slowly changing the world. Alternative power sources are slowly becoming more popular in everyday life while the technology progresses. Using these power sources that don’t pollute the atmosphere could be the change in the world that completely changes the way the world uses energy. Engineers and technicians have been producing these alternative ways for years and years. A few, but not limited to consist of: Solar panels, Wind turbines, Wave tech and much more.
Solar energy can be turned into electricity through solar cells 15%=cheap, 40% efficiency=expensive. Caloric theory of heat=caloric fluid flows from hot object to cold. Heat engine=
There are many types of alternative energy that are available and being used. One of these sources is solar power. Solar power is the fastest growing and most popular source of alternative energy. There are two processes of solar power that each depend on the nuclear fusion power from the core of the sun. The first process of solar power involves solar cells that depend on the photovoltaic effect to absorb photons and turn them into electrons. The other process involves mirrors or lenses that concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal energy onto a small area (Williams,"What Are the Different"). Solar power is used to generate light, heat homes, generate electricity, and used for air conditioning in
The main social issue that we would like to address is America’s dependence on fossil fuels and the possibility of switching to environmentally friendly energy sources. Energy is the key conflict factor during our era. So new energy development is a vital project that not only can decrease the conflict that base on energy but also improve our environment, meanwhile it also can decrease the conflict that created by the environmental issues. Our audience will be mainly comprised of young adults, particularly those who already have an interest in the subject matter since the younger generations are more technologically savvy and our generation is old enough to vote. However we would also like to have some policy makers be part of the audience
The solar industry is divided in three main markets: the European solar thermal market, the Chinese market and the market in other world regions. The industry is segmented in two main types of solar thermal collectors, which are evacuated tube collectors (80 per cent on average of the worldwide newly installed capacity in 2010) and flat plate collectors (20 per cent on average). This industry is characteristic of technology intensive industries with their central innovation: solar thermal water heating which radically reduces costs. They can also count on experimented installers. Each customer adopt and have
The sun is a massive burning ball of hydrogen that outputs gigantic quantities of energy every second. Sunlight is an excellent energy source and the future of using solar power is very exciting. The Sun's energy can be used to heat and cool buildings, generate electricity, operate communication, and GPS systems and even power solar cars. The sun’s energy is clean and solar panels used to harness the energy are low maintenance.
These are the panels that are placed on a home or business that capture the sun's rays and convert them into energy.
How can energy be converted from one form to another? All forms of energy can be converted to another form of. For example: A pendulum is an object is suspended by a string or wire for support. If the object is moved to one side and then released, it will swing back and forth in an arc. At that moment the object reaches the top of its swing, it stops for an instant, and then begins another swing. At that instant of stopping, the object has 100 percent potential energy and no kinetic energy. The object starts back down through the swing, the object is gaining kinetic energy and losing potential energy. At the instant the object is at the bottom of the swing, it has 100 percent kinetic energy and no potential energy. As the object climbs
Over the past several years, scientists have researched the impact fossil fuels currently have on our world today. These sources of energy have an irreversible and devastating consequence on our environment. Fossil fuels are disliked due to being non-renewable and unsustainable. As more technological advancements have occurred, more efforts have arisen related to replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy. Due to the integration of existing technology the public has become reluctant to adopt new energy technologies. Renewable energy brings many desirable health, environmental, and economic benefits. These renewable methods may ultimately provide a brighter future for generations to come.
Fossil fuels are an important part of life. When you turn on the lights, watch TV, or take a shower, the electricity that you are using is being generated by fossil fuels. The three types of fossil fuels are coal, crude oil, and natural gas. They all take millions of years to form, so they are considered to be “non-renewable”- eventually, the fossil fuels will all be used up. One dangerous biological effect of using fossil fuels is ocean acidification. Extracting and transporting fossil fuels can also be very dangerous. Environmentally damaging accidents such as groundwater contamination, land subsidence, and oil spills occur frequently. Global warming is another possible environmental effect. Fossil fuels have a crucial role in modern
Solar energy is transferred to the earth through radiation and the energy reaching the top of the earth’s atmosphere is estimated at 1400watts/m2. It is used directly for a wide range of human life activities including simple domestic use - drying cloths, crop and providing hot water for home use; commercial generation of electricity using photovoltaic equipment; and heating water to drive turbines in thermal electric generators. In recent times photovoltaic cells are used to convert sunlight into electricity with 40 percent efficiency Another method of using solar energy to generate electricity also used in recent times is to convert the sun’s energy into heat which is then stored in thermal tanks. The thermal tanks contain molten salts or paraffin wax which can absorb tremendous amount of heat energy without changing state. The heat can then be used as a heat source in steam engines to drive electric generators. Such thermal tanks usually have capacities of up to 1.44 Tera joules per 68m3. Grid tie allows excess energy to be sent to the transmission grid; the rest of the electricity can then be stored or used directly with solar inverters for AC
Finding energy sources is an issue that polarizes scientists, politicians and citizens alike. The most critical points of this debate are at fossil fuels and renewable energy. Energy efficiency is arguably the most dire concern facing the planet, because it significantly impacts all areas of everyday life. Common ground can be found in this controversy because both parties do agree that humans have a responsibility to future generations. That responsibility is to preserve the resources of the Earth, while offering this generation energy that is affordable and accessible.
We need new ways to heat our homes and power our cars. Solar energy is one good solution to these problems. Solar energy is a clean and accessible source of energy. "Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, is harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating, solar photovoltaic’s solar thermal electricity,