Improving the efficiency of the concentrating solar power plants using heat transfer nanofluids with gold nanoplates: An analysis from laboratory to industrial scale

We report about the remarkable changes in the thermophysical properties of the heat transfer fluid used in concentrating solar power plants with parabolic-trough collectors (Dowtherm A, a mixture of diphenyl oxide and biphenyl) by addition of Au nanoplates in mass fractions around 10-2 wt%. The resulting nanofluids are stable for weeks, and their enhanced physical properties make them good candidates for the application. Particularly, with 4.8 center dot 10-2 wt% of Au nanoplates, specific heat increases by 12.0 +/- 1. 2 % at 523 K and thermal conductivity increases by 24.9 +/- 6.1 % at 373 K, with no measurable changes in density or dynamic viscosity. This set of physical properties allows to make a realistic estimation of the performance of a prototypical concentrating solar power plant using these nanofluids for solar-to-thermal energy conversion. We determine, using computational cost-free numerical models available in literature, that the performance of a concentrating solar power plant could increase up to 35.1 %, com-pared to the predicted 24.7 % with the conventional heat transfer fluid, with neither rheological penalties nor economically prohibitive structural changes. The findings here reported may contribute to encourage the application of heat transfer nanofluids in order to improve the efficiency of concentrating solar power plants, and to consolidate a working scheme that positively promotes the transition from laboratory scale to industrial scale.(c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

Remarkable changes occur in the thermophysical properties of the heat transfer fluid used in concentrating solar power plants with the addition of Au nanoplates. The resulting nanofluids show enhanced physical properties, such as increased specific heat and thermal conductivity, without affecting density or dynamic viscosity. Computational models suggest that the performance of a concentrating solar power plant using these nanofluids could increase up to 35.1%, compared to 24.7% with conventional heat transfer fluid, without any negative effects or costly structural changes.