Enhancing Solar Thermal System Efficiency through Advanced Heat and Mass Transfer Mechanisms and Applications

Submission Deadline: 30 June 2026 View: 136 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Prof. Vijayan Gopalsamy

Email: drgvijayan@msec.edu.in

Affiliation: Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College, Chennai-24, Tamil Nadu, India

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Research Interests: solar energy, nanoparticles, nanofluid, solar collectors

Prof. S. V. Saravanan

Email: principal@msec.edu.in

Affiliation: Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College, Chennai-24, Tamil Nadu, India

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Research Interests: internal combustion engine, energy, heat and mass transfer, refrigeration and a/c

Prof. R. Senthil

Email: senthilr@srmist.edu.in

Affiliation: SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India

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Research Interests: renewable energy, solar thermal collectors – flat plate water heater, air heater, parabolic trough and dish collectors, thermal energy storage – latent heat storage, solar pv power generation – hybrid energy systems, building and environment – thermal comfort, urban heat island, computational technologies: internet of things, machine learning, and artificial intelligence

Prof.  Roberto Baccoli  

Email: rbaccoli@unica.it

Affiliation: Environmental and Architectural Engineering (DiCAAR), University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

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Research Interests: solar energy, solar collectors, thermoacoustic heat engine and refrigerator, heat and mass transfer, non steady state thermodynamic processes, thermodynamics of the building – plant system and new experimental and analytical method for buildings energy certification, thermal properties of materials

Summary

Advanced heat and mass transfer mechanisms play a vital role in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of solar thermal systems. The overall performance of solar collectors is strongly influenced by the ability of the working fluid to absorb, transport, and deliver thermal energy with minimal losses. Recent advancements focus on improving convective heat transfer through the use of nanomaterials, hybrid nanofluids, and phase-change-enhanced working fluids, which offer superior thermal properties compared to conventional fluids. In addition, surface modification techniques such as finned tubes, twisted inserts, turbulators, and textured absorber surfaces are employed to intensify turbulence and improve fluid–wall interaction, thereby increasing heat transfer rates.

Mass flow behavior and thermal diffusion characteristics are equally important, as optimized flow conditions help balance enhanced heat transfer with acceptable pressure drop and pumping power requirements. The integration of advanced numerical modeling and experimental validation has further enabled precise optimization of operating parameters, collector geometry, and material selection. These enhancement techniques have been successfully applied to various solar thermal technologies, including parabolic trough collectors, flat plate collectors, and photovoltaic–thermal systems. Overall, the application of advanced heat and mass transfer mechanisms significantly improves thermal efficiency, energy output, and operational stability, supporting the wider adoption of high-performance solar thermal systems in sustainable energy applications.

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