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Graphene nanoplatelet nanofluids stabilised by hybridisation with graphene oxide: preparation, stability, and performance in flat plate solar thermal collector

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Abstract

This study examined hybrid nanofluids of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) and graphene oxide (GO) in terms of their stability and performance as a working fluid in a flat plate solar thermal collector. Instead of functionalisation, this experiment utilises the synergetic effect of GO, which stabilises GNP nanofluids by acting like an amphiphilic surfactant. Experimental results found that stability is significantly improved with a sufficiently high concentration of GO. Stability improved as the proportion of GO was increased. In particular, the sample with an equal 50:50 ratio of GNP and GO showed good stability in sedimentation measurements, retaining over 90% of its concentration over one month. Stability was also measured under working pipe flow conditions in a solar collector test rig. This type of data has not previously been reported in the literature. Measurement of the change in concentration showed that in addition to sedimentation, concentration loss can occur via an alternative mechanism: deposition of the nanoparticles inside the pipes. The pristine GNP sample lost over 80% of its concentration over one day of running in the test rig, despite showing moderate stability over one month under still conditions. This shows that measurement of stability in still conditions does not fully describe the stability of nanofluids intended to be working fluids in heat transfer. The sample with a 50:50 ratio of GNP and GO retained around 66% of its concentration over five days of running in the test rig, and the concentration seemed to stabilise, reaching equilibrium, implying no further decreases. Viscosity measurements showed a small increase. Despite the moderately encouraging stability results, however, solar collector testing showed no discernible change in heat transfer performance when using nanofluids compared to water, making these nanofluids unsuitable for this particular flat plate solar collector design.

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Abbreviations

CGNP:

Clove-functionalised GNP

CNT:

Carbon nanotube

ETSC:

Evacuated tube solar collector

FPSC:

Flat plate solar collector

GA-GNP:

Gallic acid functionalised GNP

GNP:

Graphene nanoplatelet

GO:

Graphene oxide

NPE:

Nonylphenol ethoxylate

Nu:

Nusselt number

P-123 GNP:

GNP functionalised with Pluronic P-123 surfactant

PEG-GNP:

Pentaethylene glycol-functionalised GNP

PEG-TGr:

Pentaethylene glycol-functionalised thermally treated few layer graphene

PG-GNP:

Propylene glycol functionalised GNP

PV:

Photovoltaic

PVT:

Photovoltaic thermal

Re:

Reynold’s number

TEA-GNP:

Triethanolamine-functionalised GNP

THW:

Transient hot wire

TMP-GNP:

Trimethylolpropane tris [poly(propylene glycol), amine terminated] ether-functionalised GNP

SSA:

Specific surface area

SWCNT:

Single-walled carbon nanotube

µ:

Viscosity

η:

Efficiency

ρ:

Density

ϕ:

Nanoparticle volume fraction

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the University of Malaya, under the IIRG014B-2019 grant. We would like to acknowledge the support of The Fengtay Cultural and Educational Foundation. We would like to thank S.M.M.H Akib for assisting in creating the diagram of the FPSC test rig. We would also like to express our gratitude to L. Harish Kumar and Afrin Jahan for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Tahsinul Huq, Bee Teng Chew, Salim Newaz Kazi, Mohd Nashrul Mohd Zubir, Zhi Chao Ong & Nuralmeera Balqis Binti Mohd Azlan

  2. Future Technology Research Center, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, 123 University Road, Section 3, Douliou, Yunlin, 64002, Taiwan

    Hwai Chyuan Ong

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  1. Tahsinul Huq
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Contributions

TH involved in concept, experimental design, literature review, experimental work, and manuscript writing. HCO involved in academic and experimental guidance and improvement of written paper. BTC involved in academic and experimental guidance and improvement of written paper. KSN involved in academic and experimental guidance and improvement of written paper. MNMZ involved in academic and experimental guidance. OZC involved in academic and experimental guidance. NBBMA involved in additional experimental work.

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Correspondence to Bee Teng Chew.

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Huq, T., Ong, H.C., Chew, B.T. et al. Graphene nanoplatelet nanofluids stabilised by hybridisation with graphene oxide: preparation, stability, and performance in flat plate solar thermal collector. J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 2105–2118 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-022-11866-8

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