experimental analysis of the effects of cuo nanostructure coating on cuprous absorber on the thermal performance of a flat-plate collector solar water heater (fpcswh)

in this paper, the effects of cuo nanostructure coating on cuprous absorber on the thermal performance of a flat-plate collector solar water heater (fpcswh) were experimentally studied. three types of serpentine cuprous flat-plate collectors were designed, built, and compared: a simple absorber, a black-painted absorber, and a cuo nanostructure-coated absorber. the tests were performed in zanjan, iran, in april for different rates of water flows and collector slopes. the results showed a significant improvement in the efficiency of the cuo nanostructure-coated cuprous absorber compared to other absorbers. the improvement equaled 4-12% comparing to the black-painted absorber and 20-35% comparing to the simple absorber. this phenomena was due to the fact that nanostructures cause irregularities in the surface of the absorber, increasing the absorptance and reducing the thermal emittance.