The major disadvantage of the system results from the characteristics of the heat transfer fluid. These fluids are hard to contain, and most heat trans- fer fluids are flammable. Decomposition, when the fluids are exposed to air, can greatly reduce ignition point temperatures and leaks into certain types of insulation can cause combustion at temperatures that are considerably lower than measured self-ignition temperatures. Heat transfer fluids are also rela- tively expensive and present a potential pollution problem that makes them unsuitable for food industry applications (Murphy and Keneth, 1982). Heat transfer fluids have much poorer heat transfer characteristics than water. They are more viscous at ambient temperatures, are less dense, and have lower spe- cific heats and thermal conductivities than water. These characteristics mean that higher flow rates, higher collector differential temperatures, and greater pumping power are required to obtain the equivalent quantity of energy trans- port when compared to a system using water. In addition, heat transfer coef- ficients are lower, so there is a larger temperature differential between the receiver tube and the collector fluid. Higher temperatures are also necessary to achieve cost-effective heat exchange. These effects result in reduced collector efficiency.
It should be noted that, for every application, the suitable system has to be selected by taking into consideration all these factors and constraints.