Experimental investigation on the effect of PCM and nano-enhanced PCM of integrated solar collector performance

• Main Authors: Lin, S.C., Al-Kayiem, Hussain H., Owolabi, Afolabi L.
• Other Authors: Zubir, S.S.
• Format: Book Section
• Published: WIT Press 2013
• Subjects: TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General); TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
• Online Access: http://eprints.utp.edu.my/11013/1/Saw%20SC%20in%20Wit.pdf; http://library.witpress.com/pages/PaperInfo.asp?PaperID=25269; http://eprints.utp.edu.my/11013/
• Institution: Universiti Teknologi Petronas

The availability of hot water is essential for overnight industrial and domestic use. Integrating the solar heater with thermal energy storage showed a promising result on hot water production when sunlight is not present. In the present work, an outdoor experimental investigation of a flat plate solar collector was carried out with PCM and nano-enhanced PCM. The phase change material (PCM) used in this experiment is paraffin wax. However, 1% weight fraction of 20nm copper nanoparticles was added to improve the properties of the compound. Three cases have been investigated, namely, without PCM, with PCM and with nanoenhanced PCM (nano-PCM). It was found that at the operational mode of 0.5 kg/min and at a 10º inclination angle, with PCM and nano-PCM, hot water at 40.2ºC and 40.8ºC was produced the following morning. However, without the PCM case hot water was produced at 35.2ºC. The system was enhanced by 6.9% and 8.4% respectively when PCM and nano-PCM were used.