Recent Developments in Heat Transfer Fluids Used for Solar Thermal Energy Applications

Abstract

Solar thermal collectors are emerging as a prime mode of harnessing the solar radiations for generation of alternate energy. Heat transfer fluids (HTFs) are employed for transferring and utilizing the solar heat collected via solar thermal energy collectors. Solar thermal collectors are commonly categorized into low temperature collectors, medium temperature collectors and high temperature collectors. Low temperature solar collectors use phase changing refrigerants and water as heat transfer fluids. Degrading water quality in certain geographic locations and high freezing point is hampering its suitability and hence use of water-glycol mixtures as well as water-based nano fluids are gaining momentum in low temperature solar collector applications. Hydrocarbons like propane, pentane and butane are also used as refrigerants in many cases. HTFs used in medium temperature solar collectors include water, waterglycol mixtures -the emerging "green glycol" i.e., trimethylene glycol and also a whole range of naturally occurring hydrocarbon oils in various compositions such as aromatic oils, naphthenic oils and paraffinic oils in their increasing order of operating temperatures. In some cases, semi-synthetic heat transfer oils have also been reported to be used. HTFs for high temperature solar collectors are a high priority area and extensive investigations and developments are occurring globally. In this category, wide range of molecules starting from water in direct steam generation, air, synthetic hydrocarbon oils, nanofluid compositions, molten salts, molten metals, dense suspension of solid silicon carbide particles etc., are being explored and employed. Among these, synthetic hydrocarbon oils are used as a fluid of choice in majority of high temperature solar collector applications while other HTFs are being used with varying degree of experimental maturity and commercial viability -for maximizing their benefits and minimizing their disadvantages. Present paper reviews the recent developments taking place in the area of heat transfer fluids for harnessing solar thermal energy. Refrigerants/phase changing materials: These are low boiling point but high heat capacity substances used in the solar collectors to transfer heat in applications like solar space cooling and heating, refrigerators, air conditioning, etc [7]. These materials absorb heat from the solar collectors, produce work either by expanding in a turbo-generator of a vapor compression cycle or by dissociating the refrigerant from its absorbent in a vapor absorption cycle [8]. In some of the relatively high temperature applications, higher boiling point refrigerants are used as indirect heat transfer fluids, wherein the heat collected from the solar collectors is transferred to another fluid like water from where the refrigerants pick-up heat to do the required work in the turbo-generators [9,10]. Recent Developments in Heat Transfer

Performance Augmentation of the Flat Plate Solar Thermal Collector: A Review

“…In recent years, new working fluids have been developed and have shown good potential in thermal conductivity. Srivastava et al [66] presented a review on heat transfer fluids that are being used in STCs. Working fluids are categorized based on the temperature range of STCs, i.e., high-temperature working fluids, medium temperature, and low temperature.…”

Analytical assessment of a concentrated solar sub-critical thermal power plant using low temperature heat transfer fluid

“…The experimentally determined convective heat transfer coefficient of the oil was 650 W/m 2 C and the density of oil at 400 C was 700 kg/m 3 . The specific heat capacity used in the calculations was 2500 J/kg C. [18][19][20][21] For the solar field considered in the study, effect of increase in oil density and specific heat capacity has been performed to analyze the impact of enhancement in h i value of the heat transfer oil and the resulting increase in energy collected. It has been assumed that the other heat transport parameters of thermal conductivity and the viscosity remain constant.…”

Environment impact of a concentrated solar power plant

“…HTFs for high-temperature areas have high priority in global research [13]. The results of the research in the past years have led to new systems that do not require synthetic oil, but directly use water/steam as HTF, such as DSG (direct steam production), gases or molten salt mixtures in direct/indirect systems.…”