Thermal Performance Comparison of FPC Based Solar Thermal Water Heaters Using Hybrid Nanofluids (Composite Al₂O₃ & Cuo-Water -Based) to Single Nanofluids for Varied Volume Fractions

This study compares the thermal performance of Flat Plate Collector (FPC) based Solar Thermal Water Heaters (STWH) employing hybrid nanofluids, namely Al₂O₃-CuO-water, to single nanofluids such as Al₂O₃-water and CuO-water. Combining Al₂O₃ with CuO nanoparticles in water for varied volume fractions of Nanoparticles enhances thermal conductivity, specific heat, and heat transfer efficiency. Numerical simulations using ANSYS Fluent Software, based on the Finite Volume Method (FVM) Modelling, show that hybrid nanofluids improve the overall thermal performance of solar thermal water heaters more effectively than single nanofluids, indicating a promising solution for efficient energy utilization in solar thermal applications.