Analysing the Performance of a Flat Plate Solar Collector with Silver/Water Nanofluid Using Artificial Neural Network

In the present study performance of flat plate solar collector with silver/water nanofluid is simulated using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The solar radiation heat flux was varied between 900W/m2 and 1000W/m2. The Reynolds number is varied from 5000 to 25000. The effect of radiation heat flux, mass flow rate, and inlet temperature on the heat transfer coefficient, thermal efficiency was analyzed. The ANN results were compared with the experimental results; also by using the ANN the thermal efficiency of flat plate solar collector was predicted up to the Reynolds number of 100000. It was observed from this study that, the ANN results agree well with the experimental results with the deviation less than ±2%.