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Thermal performance and physicochemical stability of silver nanoprism-based nanofluids for direct solar absorption

Thermal performance and physicochemical stability of silver nanoprism-based nanofluids for direct solar absorption
Thermal performance and physicochemical stability of silver nanoprism-based nanofluids for direct solar absorption
To utilize nanofluids for direct absorption solar collectors (DASCs), they need to maintain their performance and physicochemical stability with exposure to solar radiation. In the present studies, three water-based nanofluids were characterized under light exposure, including silver nanoprisms (AgNPrs), silica coated silver nanoprisms (SiO2@AgNPr) and silica (SiO2) nanoparticles. Their temperature profiles and stability were monitored using simulated sunlight (SSL) and natural sunlight exposure (NSL), quantified by UV-vis spectroscopy and, in the case of SSL, characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With SSL both silver nanofluids showed an increase in maximum temperature of approximately 40 – 45°C, with a photo-conversion efficiency of about three times greater than the SiO2 nanofluid and water base-fluid. Stability tests showed the SiO2@AgNPr nanomaterial to be morphologically unstable, with the AgNPrs etching over a period of several hours. The AgNPrs showed a higher tendency to aggregation than SiO2@AgNPr nanofluids when exposed to NSL sunlight over a two-week period. Contrarily, the latter exhibited notable changing in shape, consequently effecting the absorption band position. The results highlight strongly the need for stability trials under realistic conditions for the development of nanofluids for direct solar absorption.
Nanofluid, Nanoprisms, Silica, Silver, Stability, solar thermal
0038-092X
366-376
Kimpton, Harriet
30c744e7-3f80-4a81-a53c-03f44074a805
Cristaldi, Domenico, Andrea
6da2333e-3305-4a8b-996f-e5a844c69cdc
Stulz, Eugen
9a6c04cf-32ca-442b-9281-bbf3d23c622d
Zhang, Xunli
d7cf1181-3276-4da1-9150-e212b333abb1
Kimpton, Harriet
30c744e7-3f80-4a81-a53c-03f44074a805
Cristaldi, Domenico, Andrea
6da2333e-3305-4a8b-996f-e5a844c69cdc
Stulz, Eugen
9a6c04cf-32ca-442b-9281-bbf3d23c622d
Zhang, Xunli
d7cf1181-3276-4da1-9150-e212b333abb1

Kimpton, Harriet, Cristaldi, Domenico, Andrea, Stulz, Eugen and Zhang, Xunli (2020) Thermal performance and physicochemical stability of silver nanoprism-based nanofluids for direct solar absorption. Solar Energy, 199, 366-376. (doi:10.1016/j.solener.2020.02.039).

Record type: Article

Abstract

To utilize nanofluids for direct absorption solar collectors (DASCs), they need to maintain their performance and physicochemical stability with exposure to solar radiation. In the present studies, three water-based nanofluids were characterized under light exposure, including silver nanoprisms (AgNPrs), silica coated silver nanoprisms (SiO2@AgNPr) and silica (SiO2) nanoparticles. Their temperature profiles and stability were monitored using simulated sunlight (SSL) and natural sunlight exposure (NSL), quantified by UV-vis spectroscopy and, in the case of SSL, characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With SSL both silver nanofluids showed an increase in maximum temperature of approximately 40 – 45°C, with a photo-conversion efficiency of about three times greater than the SiO2 nanofluid and water base-fluid. Stability tests showed the SiO2@AgNPr nanomaterial to be morphologically unstable, with the AgNPrs etching over a period of several hours. The AgNPrs showed a higher tendency to aggregation than SiO2@AgNPr nanofluids when exposed to NSL sunlight over a two-week period. Contrarily, the latter exhibited notable changing in shape, consequently effecting the absorption band position. The results highlight strongly the need for stability trials under realistic conditions for the development of nanofluids for direct solar absorption.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 9 February 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 18 February 2020
Published date: 15 March 2020
Additional Information: Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and EPSRC funded CDT in Energy Storage and Its Application at the University of Southampton , and especially Prof Andrew Cruden, Head of the Energy Technology Research Group, for helpful discussion on the results. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 International Solar Energy Society
Keywords: Nanofluid, Nanoprisms, Silica, Silver, Stability, solar thermal

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 437860
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/437860
ISSN: 0038-092X
PURE UUID: 9333eaee-3b72-4d44-8234-425ba243e475
ORCID for Harriet Kimpton: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3219-217X
ORCID for Eugen Stulz: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5302-2276
ORCID for Xunli Zhang: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4375-1571

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Date deposited: 20 Feb 2020 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 05:19

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Contributors

Author: Harriet Kimpton ORCID iD
Author: Eugen Stulz ORCID iD
Author: Xunli Zhang ORCID iD

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