Thermal Performance Enhancement of a Shallow Solar Pond Based on Nanofluids

Abstract

In this work, the thermal performance enhancement of a shallow solar pond (SSP) was verified theoretically. The SSP operates under the open cycle to extract heat in order to increase own efficiency. SSP was provided with two transparent glass covers to reduce heat loss and increase global warming. It was also coated with a heat insulation material; the bottom of the SSP is painted in black to improve the absorption of solar radiation. In order to enhance heat extraction, five types of nanofluids with different physical properties were passed through a heat exchanger in the form of a serpentine welded to the bottom of the SSP. Five types of metal nanoparticles such as Al2O3, CuO, TiO2, SiO2, and Cu were mixed with pure water under various concentrations ranging from 0 to 5 % to obtain the nanofluids. A numerical model was developed based on the solution of thermal balance equations after discretization by using real meteorological conditions of the Medea city located in Algeria. The simulation was conducted on June 8 from 5 am to 6 am hours for the next day. The obtained results, including thermophysical properties, temperature of the pond and exergy performance, were presented and discussed.