Progress of nanofluid application in solar collectors: A review

• Nanoparticles are more suited and adapt to enhance the performance of solar systems.
• Extinction coefficient and refractive index of nanofluids are found higher.
• Optimum range of volume fraction for which enhancement in heat transfer coefficient is maximum.
• Overall response of specific heat capacity of nanofluids is highly anomalous.

In recent times solar energy has attracted the attention of scientists to a great deal. On the surface, there are two reasons for it: primarily, the scientists are interested in it with the intent to innovating new devices and secondly, developing new methods to harness it. Miniaturization of devices and energy efficiency are the major focal domains around which new materials are being worked on. The design of solar system may get some basic changes, if the new materials get applied successfully. Albeit, the nanofluids are a comparatively recent innovation which exhibit enhanced heat absorbing and heat transport ability. This paper intends to reinforce the working of nanofluids applied on solar system in the light of works done earlier; it further also explores the variable performance of the solar-system with and without application of nano-fluids. This work has been segmented into two parts: the first part focuses on presenting the experimental and numerical results for the thermal conductivity, viscosity, specific heat and the heat transfer coefficient reported by several authors. The second part deals with the application of nanofluids on different types of solar systems: solar collectors, photovoltaic systems, and solar thermoelectric and energy storage system. A study of the works earlier done seems to be suggesting that the nanofluids have great potential to enhance the functioning of various thermal systems. The recent results of the application of nanofluids in PV/T systems too have been consolidating. It can be safely assumed further that it might enhance the overall performance of the solar energy conversion process.