The effects of using aqueous nanofluids containing covalently functionalized graphene nanoplatelets with triethanolamine (TEA-GNPs) as novel working fluids on the thermal performance of a flat-plate solar collector (FPSC) have been investigated. Water-based nanofluids with weight concentrations of 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.075%, and 0.1% of TEA-GNPs with specific surface areas of 300, 500, and 750 m2/g were prepared. An experimental setup was designed and built and a simulation program using MATLAB was developed. Experimental tests were performed using inlet fluid temperatures of 30, 40, and 50 °C; flow rates of 0.6, 1.0, and 1.4 kg/min; and heat flux intensities of 600, 800, and 1000 W/m2. The FPSC’s efficiency increased as the flow rate and heat flux intensity increased, and decreased as inlet fluid temperature increased. When using nanofluids in the FPSC, the measured temperatures of absorber plate and tube wall decreased down to 3.35% and 3.51%, respectively, with the increase in weight concentration and specific surface area, while the efficiency increased up to 10.53% for 0.1- wt% TEA-GNPs nanofluid with specific surface area of 750 m2/g, in comparison with water. When using water as heat transfer fluid, very good agreement was obtained between the experimental and predicted values of absorber plate temperature, tube wall temperature, and collector’s efficiency with maximum differences of 3.02%, 3.19%, and 3.26%, respectively. While, when using nanofluids, higher differences were found, up to 4.74%, 4.7%, and 13.47% for TEA-GNPs nanofluid with specific surface area of 750 m2/g, respectively. Accordingly, the MATLAB code was capable of simulating the thermal performance of FPSCs utilizing nanofluids as their heat transfer fluids with acceptable accuracy. Values of performance index were all greater than 1, and increased as weight concentration increased up to 1.104 for 0.1- wt% TEA-GNPs nanofluid with specific surface area of 750 m2/g, implying higher positive effects on efficiency than negative effects on pressure drop. Accordingly, the investigated nanofluids can efficiently be used in FPSCs for enhanced energy efficiency, and the 0.1- wt% water-based TEA-GNPs nanofluid with specific surface area of 750 m2/g was comparatively the superior one.
The effect of the concentration of the colloidal nanomaterial on their optical limiting behavior is reported in this paper. The colloids of sliver nanoparticles in deionized water were chemically prepared for the two concentrations (31 ppm and 11ppm). Two cw lasers (473 nm Blue DPSS laser and 532 nm Nd:YAG laser) are used to compare the optical limiting performance for the samples. UV–visible spectrophotometer, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) were used to obtain the characteristics of the sample. The nonlinear refractive index was calculated to be in the order of 10-9 cm2/W. The results demonstrate that the observed limiting response is significant for 532nm. In addition, t
... Show MoreThis in vitro study evaluated the influence of chemomechanical caries removal solution on the surface topography of metal-ceramic feldspar porcelain (MAJOR ceramic) and All-ceramic feldspar porcelain (Vita Alpha) using light polarizing microscope. Forty specimens of MAJOR ceramic and forty specimens of Vita Alpha ceramic of (12mm diameter & 3mm height) were prepared .All specimens were polished with silicon polishing burs, cleaned, autoglazed and stored in 37°C before exposure to Carisolv. Thirty specimens of each material randomly exposed to Carisolv gel for 5, 10 and 20 minutes respectively, other ten specimens were not, to act as control group. All specimens were subjected to surface roughness test by profilometer and evalua
... Show MoreThis research is concerned with a new type of ferrocement characterized by its lower density and enhanced thermal insulation. Lightweight ferrocement plates have many advantages, low weight, low cost, thermal insulation, environmental conservation. This work contain two group experimental : first different of layer ferrocement, second different of ratio aggregate to cement. The experiments were made to determined the optimum proportion of cement and lightweight aggregate (recycle thermestone ). A low W/C ratio of 0.4 was used with super plasticizer conforming to ASTM 494 Type G. The compressive strength of the mortar mixes is 20-25 MPa. The work also involved the determination of thermal properties .Thermal conductivity value of thi
... Show MoreVibration analysis plays a vital role in understanding and analyzing the behavior of the structure. Where, it can be utilized from this analysis in the design process of the structures in different engineering applications, check the quality and safety of the structure under different working conditions. This work presents experimental measurements and numerical solutions to an out of plane vibration of a rectangular plate with a circular hole. Free edges rectangular plates with different circular holes diameters were studied. The effects of hole location on the plate natural frequencies were also investigated. A finite element modeling (using ANSYS Software) has been used to analyze the vibration characteristics of the plates. A good agree
... Show MoreAbstract: In this research, nanofibers have been prepared by using an electrospinning method. Three types of polymer (PVA, VC, PMMA) have been used with different concentration. The applied voltage and the gap length were changed. It was observed that VC is the best polymer than the other types of polymers.
In this research, nanofibers have been prepared by using an electrospinning method. Three types of polymer (PVA, VC, PMMA) have been used with different concentration. The applied voltage and the gap length were changed. It was observed that VC is the best polymer than the other types of polymers.
This paper presents a computer simulation model of a thermally activated roof (TAR) to cool a room using cool water from a wet cooling tower. Modeling was achieved using a simplified 1-D resistance-capacitance thermal network (RC model) for an infinite slab. Heat transfer from the cooling pipe network was treated as 2-D heat flow. Only a limited number of nodes were required to obtain reliable results. The use of 6th order RC-thermal model produced a set of ordinary differential equations that were solved using MATLAB - R2012a. The computer program was written to cover all possible initial conditions, material properties, TAR system geometry and hourly solar radiation. The cool water supply was considered time
... Show MoreCopper doped Zinc oxide and (n-ZnO / p-Si and n-ZnO: Cu / p-Si) thin films thru thickness (400±20) nm were deposited by thermal evaporation technique onto two substrates. The influence of different Cu percentages (1%,3% and 5%) on ZnO thin film besides hetero junction (ZnO / Si) characteristics were investigated, with X-ray diffractions examination supports ZnO films were poly crystal then hexagonal structural per crystallite size increase from (22.34 to 28.09) nm with increasing Cu ratio. The optical properties display exceptional optically absorptive for 5% Cu dopant with reduced for optically gaps since 3.1 toward 2.7 eV. Hall Effect measurements presented with all films prepared pure and doped have n-types conductive, with a ma
... Show MoreConsidering the expanding frequency of breast cancer and high incidence of vitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] insufficiently, this investigate pointed to explain a relation between serum [25(OH)D3] (the sunshine vitamin) level and breast cancer hazard. The current study aimed to see how serum levels of each [25(OH)D3], HbA1c%, total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) were affected a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer. In 40 healthy volunteers and 69 untreated breast cancer patients with clinical and histological evidence which include outpatients and hospitalized admissions patients at the Oncology Center, Medical City / Baghdad - Iraq. Venous blood samp
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