Abstract
This chapter gives a comprehensive overview of the recent advances related to the application of the nanotechnology in various kinds of the solar collectors. The papers reviewed include theoretical, numerical, and experimental up-to-date works related with the nanotechnology applications in the flat plate, direct absorption, parabolic trough, wavy, heat pipe and other kinds of the solar collectors. A lot of literature is reviewed in this chapter and summarized carefully in Tables 17.1-17.7 to present a panoramic overview of the role of the nanotechnology in improving the various types of the solar collectors. It was found that the use of the nanofluid in the solar collector field can play a crucial role in increasing the efficiency of these devises. This chapter can be considered an important link between nanotechnology and all available kinds of the solar collectors. Further research is required to study the effect of nanotechnology to enhance the solar collector industry over the next several coming years.