Analysis of a Renewable Energy Based System Using Nanofluids for Power Generation

In this present paper, a performance analysis of an Integrated Solar Rankine Cycle (ISRC) is provided. The ISRC consists of a nanofluid-based Parabolic Trough Solar Collector (PTSC), and a Thermal Energy Storage System (TES) integrated with a Rankine Cycle. The effect of dispersing Copper (Cu) nanoparticles in a conventional heating fluid (Syltherm 800) on the output performance and cost of the ISRC is studied for different volume fractions, and for two modes of operation. The first mode assumes no storage, while the second assumes a storage system with a storage period of 7 hours. For the second mode of operation, the charging and discharging cycles are explained. The results show that the presence of the nanoparticles causes an increase in the overall energy produced by the ISRC for both modes of operation, and also causes a decrease in the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LEC), and an increase in the net savings of the ISRC. When comparing the two modes of operation it is established that the existence of a storage system leads to a higher power generation, and a lower LEC; however the efficiency of the cycle drops. It is seen that the maximum increase in the annual energy output of the ISRC caused by the addition of the nanoparticles is around 3.5%, while the maximum increase in the net savings is around 12.8%.