Investigation of entropy generation, PEC, and efficiency of parabolic solar collector containing water/Al2O3_MWCNT hybrid nanofluid in the presence of finned and perforated twisted tape turbulators using a two-phase flow scheme

Renewable energy is a type of convenient energy obtained from renewable sources, which can be replaced naturally again on the human time scale. One of the most broadly employed types of renewable energy is solar energy. In the present study, the entropy generation, performance evaluation criterion (PEC), and efficiency of parabolic solar collector containing water/Al2O3_MWCNT hybrid nanofluid are numerically examined in the presence of finned and perforated twisted tape turbulators by employing two-phase flow approach. The volume fraction of nanoparticles (phi) changes from 0 to 3% and the Reynolds number (Re) range is 5000-35,000. The two-phase Eulerian-Eulerian model (EEM), k-omega turbulence model, finite volume method (FVM) method, and SIMPLEC algorithm are used for numerical simulations. The results demonstrate that the maximum change in the total entropy generation is 40.07% by changing the type of turbulator from a perforated tape to the finned vane turbulator which occurs at Re = 30,000 and phi= 3%. The maximum change in the collector efficiency is 1.62% by changing the type of turbulator from finned turbulator to perforated tape one which occurs at Re = 20,000 and phi = 0%. The maximum change in ANU is 13.65%, which occurs at Re = 15,000 and phi = 1%.It is more desirable to use the perforated twisted tape from the point of view of heat transfer, total entropy generation, PEC, and collector efficiency.