Performance Analysis of Solar Thermal Flat Plate Collector using Different Heat Transfer Fluids

Abstract

One of the major concern in the Indian energy sector are energy use and energy security and these two factors are greatly inter
related too. Renewable energy sector contributes a lot to sustainable development technologies in which the ability of the future
generation to meet their own needs are not affected by meeting the needs of present generation. The drastic increase in energy
demand and related environmental issues have encouraged a lot of researchers for searching an alternative option to render the
future energy demand. Since solar energy is clean, abundantly available and inexhaustible in nature, it is an interesting option
among the renewable energy technologies. Nowadays, solar thermal technologies are the most popular due to ease of application,
high conversion factors and economic viability. The performance of solar thermal technology is dependent on certain factors such
as heat transfer fluids like water, air, antifreezes like ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, hydrocarbon oils etc., solar radiation,
collector tilt, etc. The efficiency of a solar thermal system depends on the outlet temperature obtained using each of the heat
transfer fluids. In this context, their performance analysis holds a greater importance. In this thesis work, a performance analysis
on the flat plate collector system using different heat transfer fluids were done and compared. The experiment was conducted
using varying concentrations of water and heat transfer fluid mixtures.