Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental investigation on photothermal properties of Zn–ZnO/paraffin hybrid nanofluids

  • Published:
Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As one of the phase change materials (PCMs), paraffin is widely used in solar energy storage and utilization; however, there are limitations to its use due to poor photothermal properties of paraffin with low thermal conductivity and weak spectral absorption. In this present work, an experimental investigation on improving the photothermal properties of PCMs by producing hybrid PCM-based nanofluid with paraffin wax incorporating zinc (Zn) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles was carried out. The two-step method was considered for the preparation of the Zn–ZnO/paraffin hybrid nanofluid, and the thermal and optical properties of the hybrid nanofluid were experimentally investigated. The impacts of nanoparticle concentration and solar radiation intensity on the photothermal properties of hybrid nanofluid were also studied. The results show that the addition of Zn and ZnO nanoparticles enhances thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity compared with pure paraffin. On the other hand, the transmission of nanofluid reduces with optical length and nanoparticles concentration increasing. Zn–ZnO/paraffin hybrid nanofluid can promote the photothermal properties in lower concentrations and higher irradiance range, and the maximum photothermal conversion efficiency of Zn–ZnO/paraffin hybrid nanofluids is 42.97%.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Not applicable.

References

  1. Yasmeen R, Yao X, Padda IUH, et al. Exploring the role of solar energy and foreign direct investment for clean environment: evidence from top 10 solar energy consuming countries. Renew Energy. 2022;185:147–58.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kuşkaya S. Residential solar energy consumption and greenhouse gas nexus: evidence from Morlet wavelet transforms. Renew Energy. 2022;192:793–804.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Sharma A, Chauhan R. Integrated and separate collector storage type low-temperature solar water heating systems with latent heat storage: a review. Sustain Energy Technol Assess. 2022;51: 101935.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Zhang R, Shen GQP, Ni M, et al. Techno-economic feasibility of solar water heating system: overview and meta-analysis. Sustain Energy Technol Assess. 2018;30:164–73.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Nwaji GN, Okoronkwo CA, Ogueke NV, et al. Hybrid solar water heating/nocturnal radiation cooling system I: a review of the progress, prospects and challenges. Energy Build. 2019;198:412–30.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Huang Y, Ma X, Rao C, et al. An annular compound parabolic concentrator used in tower solar thermal power generation system. Sol Energy. 2019;188:1256–63.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ampuño G, Lata-Garcia J, Jurado F. Evaluation of energy efficiency and the reduction of atmospheric emissions by generating electricity from a solar thermal power generation plant. Energies. 2020;13(3):645.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Sarmouk MDE, Smaili A, Fellouah H, et al. Experimental and numerical investigations of a solar space heating system based on design of experiments method. Sol Energy. 2021;216:396–410.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ndukwu MC, Bennamoun L, Simo-Tagne M. Reviewing the exergy analysis of solar thermal systems integrated with phase change materials. Energies. 2021;14(3):724.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Mishra RK, Verma K, Mishra V, et al. A review on carbon-based phase change materials for thermal energy storage. J Energy Storage. 2022;50: 104166.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Li D, Ma T, Liu C, et al. Thermal performance of a PCM-filled double glazing unit with different optical properties of phase change material. Energy Build. 2016;119:143–52.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Liu W, Bie Y, Xu T, et al. Heat transfer enhancement of latent heat thermal energy storage in solar heating system: a state-of-the-art review. J Energy Storage. 2022;46: 103727.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Belussi L, Barozzi B, Bellazzi A, et al. A review of performance of zero energy buildings and energy efficiency solutions. J Build Eng. 2019;25: 100772.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Lu B, Zhang Y, Sun D, et al. Experimental investigation on thermal properties of paraffin/expanded graphite composite material for low temperature thermal energy storage. Renew Energy. 2021;178:669–78.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Li Z, Gariboldi E. Review on the temperature-dependent thermophysical properties of liquid paraffins and composite PCMs with metallic porous structures. Mater Today Energy. 2021;20:100642.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Leong KY, Rahman MRA, Gurunathan BA. Nano-enhanced phase change materials: a review of thermo-physical properties, applications and challenges. J Energy Storage. 2019;21:18–31.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Singh R, Sadeghi S, Shabani B. Thermal conductivity enhancement of phase change materials for low-temperature thermal energy storage applications. Energies. 2018;12(1):75.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Elbahjaoui R, El Qarnia H. Transient behavior analysis of the melting of nanoparticle-enhanced phase change material inside a rectangular latent heat storage unit. Appl Therm Eng. 2017;112:720–38.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Liu J, Chen L, Fang X, et al. Preparation of graphite nanoparticles-modified phase change microcapsules and their dispersed slurry for direct absorption solar collectors. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells. 2017;159:159–66.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Parsazadeh M, Duan X. Numerical and statistical study on melting of nanoparticle enhanced phase change material in a shell-and-tube thermal energy storage system. Appl Therm Eng. 2017;111:950–60.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Liu H, Wang X, Wu D. Innovative design of microencapsulated phase change materials for thermal energy storage and versatile applications: a review. Sustain Energy Fuels. 2019;3(5):1091–149.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Ahmed SF, Khalid M, Rashmi W, et al. Recent progress in solar thermal energy storage using nanomaterials. Renew Sustain Energy Rev. 2017;67:450–60.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Rufuss DDW, Suganthi L, Iniyan S, et al. Effects of nanoparticle-enhanced phase change material (NPCM) on solar still productivity. J Clean Prod. 2018;192:9–29.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hua W, Zhang X, Luo X, et al. Experimental study on nano metal/paraffin composite phase change heat storage material. Acta Energiae Solaris Sin. 2017;38(06):1723–8.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Lu B, Zhang Y, Zhang J, et al. Preparation, optimization and thermal characterization of paraffin/nano-Fe3O4 composite phase change material for solar thermal energy storage. J Energy Storage. 2022;46: 103928.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Yang R, Li D, Wei W, Wang F. A Mie optimization model to determine optical properties of PCM based nanofluids for solar thermal applications of glazing window. Optik. 2020;212:164664.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sarkar J, Ghosh P, Adil A. A review on hybrid nanofluids: recent research, development and applications. Renew Sustain Energy Rev. 2015;43:164–77.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Hamid M, Seyed Mostafa TG, Alimorad R, et al. A novel approach for energy and water conservation by using silver-carbon quantum dots hybrid nanofluids in wet cooling towers systems. J Therm Sci. 2021;30(5):1827–41.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Hazra SK, Michael M, Nandi TK. Investigations on optical and photo-thermal conversion characteristics of BN-EG and BN/CB-EG hybrid nanofluids for applications in direct absorption solar collectors. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells. 2021;230: 111245.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tong Y, Boldoo T, Mr JH, et al. Improvement of photo-thermal energy conversion performance of MWCNT/Fe3O4 hybrid nanofluid compared to Fe3O4 nanofluid. Energy. 2020;196: 117086.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Farajzadeh E, Movahed S, Hosseini R. Experimental and numerical investigations on the effect of Al2O3/TiO2-H2O nanofluids on thermal efficiency of the flat plate solar collector. Renew Energy. 2018;118:122–30.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wang X, He Y, Chen M, et al. ZnO-Au composite hierarchical particles dispersed oil-based nanofluids for direct absorption solar collectors. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells. 2018;179:185–93.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Madhesh D, Parameshwaran R, Kalaiselvam S. Experimental investigation on convective heat transfer and rheological characteristics of Cu-TiO2 hybrid nanofluids. Exp Therm Fluid Sci. 2014;52:104–15.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Takabi B, Salehi S. Augmentation of the heat transfer performance of a sinusoidal corrugated enclosure by employing hybrid nanofluid. Adv Mech Eng. 2014;6: 147059.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Kedzierski MA, Brignoli R, Quine KT, et al. Viscosity, density, and thermal conductivity of aluminum oxide and zinc oxide nanolubricants. Int J Refrig-revue Int Du Froid. 2017;74:3–11.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Vajjha RS, Das DK, Namburu PK. Numerical study of fluid dynamic and heat transfer performance of Al2O3 and CuO nanofluids in the flat tubes of a radiator. Int J Heat Fluid Flow. 2010;31(4):613–21.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Drotning WD. Optical properties of solar-absorbing oxide particles suspended in a molten salt heat transfer fluid. Sol Energy. 1978;20(4):313–9.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Mma B, Ming X, Qaa B. Study on photothermal properties of Zn–ZnO/paraffin binary nanofluids as a filler for double glazing unit. Int J Heat Mass Transf. 2021;183:122173.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Chen N, Ma H, Li Y, et al. Complementary optical absorption and enhanced solar thermal conversion of CuO-ATO nanofluids. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells. 2017;162:83–92.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Xuan Y, Duan H, Li Q. Enhancement of solar energy absorption using a plasmonic nanofluid based on TiO2/Ag composite nanoparticles. RSC Adv. 2014;4:16206–13.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Fang J, Xuan Y. Investigation of optical absorption and photothermal conversion characteristics of binary CuO/ZnO nanofluids. RSC Adv. 2017;7(88):56023–33.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The work is financially supported by the National Science Foundation of China (52078110).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Northeast Petroleum University, Fazhan Lu Street, Daqing, 163318, China

    Xiangyu Tong, Dong Li, Ruitong Yang, Yangyang Wu & Changyu Liu

  2. International Joint Laboratory on Low-Carbon and New-Energy Nexus, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, 163318, China

    Xiangyu Tong, Dong Li, Ruitong Yang, Müslüm Arıcı, Yangyang Wu, Changyu Liu & Çağatay Yıldız

  3. Engineering Faculty, Mechanical Engineering Department, Kocaeli University, Umuttepe Campus, Kocaeli, 41001, Turkey

    Müslüm Arıcı & Çağatay Yıldız

Authors
  1. Xiangyu Tong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ruitong Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Müslüm Arıcı
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yangyang Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Changyu Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Çağatay Yıldız
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

XT: investigation, formal analysis, methodology, writing—original draft. DL: Conceptualization, Methodology, software, investigation, formal analysis, methodology, supervision, writing—review and editing. RY: investigation, formal analysis, methodology, writing—original draft. MA: formal analysis, supervision, writing—review and editing. YW: investigation, formal analysis, writing—review and editing. CL: investigation, formal analysis, writing—review and editing. ÇY: investigation, formal analysis, methodology, writing—review and editing.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dong Li or Müslüm Arıcı.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethics approval

We declare that the manuscript has not been previously published, is not currently submitted for review to any other journal, and will not be submitted elsewhere before your decision is made.

Consent to participate

All participates agreed to participate in this study.

Consent to publish

All authors agreed with the content and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tong, X., Li, D., Yang, R. et al. Experimental investigation on photothermal properties of Zn–ZnO/paraffin hybrid nanofluids. J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 11029–11040 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-023-12310-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-023-12310-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation