Implementing renewable solar energy in presence of Maxwell nanofluid in parabolic trough solar collector: a computational study

The solar radiations are absorbed in the form of heat energy by using the solar centering systems in solar collectors, this energy is then transmitted to nanofluid. This study concerns the production of entropy in a Maxwell nanofluid passed over an infinite horizontal surface. Then the non-linear stretching of the surface causes a flow in parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC). The similarity transformations are employed to transmute the system of PDEs into a system of solvable ODEs provided with the boundary conditions. Eventually, the classical Keller box scheme is applied to find the numerical solutions of transmutes ODEs. The analysis of two distinct nanofluids including copper-engine oil (Cu-EO) and zirconium dioxide-engine oil ZrO2-EO is taken into account and the results for both of them are discussed. The extracted results demonstrate a decline in Nusselt number with growing permeable media parameter and augmentation for increasing values of skin friction coefficient. A recent study is presented to provide information related to the enhancement of heat collector in the PTSC with Maxwell nanofluid. The minimal level of efficiency of Cu-EO over ZrO2-EO is 7.1% and the maximum level is up to 18.7%.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the production of entropy in a Maxwell nanofluid in a parabolic trough solar collector, with similarity transformations used to convert PDE systems into solvable ODE systems, and numerical solutions found using the Keller box scheme. The results show a decrease in Nusselt number with increasing permeable media parameter and an increase with the skin friction coefficient.