Prototype Design of Solar Collector Hybrid Heating System and Testing of Triethylene Glycol Nanofluid

Abstract

The inclusion of solar energy, which is a renewable energy source, in heating systems in buildings provides significant advantages. To make heating with solar energy sufficient and efficient, nanofluids are used in solar collectors. In this study, a hybrid heating prototype is produced, a control mechanism controlling the operation of the hybrid system is established and tests are carried out by including monoethylene glycol, propylene glycol, aluminum oxide, copper oxide, titanium dioxide, especially triethylene glycol-based nanofluids in the system. Finally, a new nanofluid is obtained by mixing triethylene glycol with aluminum oxide and is tested on the prototype. With the tests carried out under the same conditions, the temperature differences of the nanofluids in a certain time period are observed and recorded. It is observed that the mixture of water and triethylene glycol provided the lowest temperature increase by providing a temperature increase of 8.6 °C in the range of 0-90 minutes. It also is observed that the highest temperature increase is achieved with the 21 °C temperature increase of the pure water and aluminum oxide mixture. Although the water and triethylene glycol mixture performs more inefficiently than other mixtures, it is thought that it can be used for heat storage since it heats up for a long time and cools down for a long time.