Comparative study to use nano-(Al2O3, CuO, and SiC) with water to enhance photovoltaic thermal PV/T collectors

The reduction in efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) units due to increases in cell temperature occurs when a small part of the absorbed solar radiation is converted into electricity and the remaining part is lost as heat. Recently, the addition of a range of nanomaterials with high thermal conductivity to the cooling fluid in PV/T systems has been the subject of much research. In this study, three nanomaterials were added to water as a base fluid with several volume fractions to determine the best concentration and nanoparticle for this application. The PV/T system was setup in an indoor laboratory. Knowing which material has a better effect on the PV unit in particular, and the PV/T unit in general, is important for deciding which nanomaterial is more suitable for the system. The results reveal that nanofluid gives higher thermal conductivity with very little increase in the fluid density and viscosity compared with the base fluid. The studied volume fractions were 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4% and the selected nanoparticles were Al2O3, CuO, and SiC. It was found that silicon carbide nanoparticles have the best stability and the highest thermal conductivity compared to the other two nano-substances. Copper oxide nanofluid has higher thermal conductivity than aluminium oxide but lower stability, although it was found here that this material reliably stable compared to in other studies. The nanofluid reduced the indoor PV/T system temperature and enhanced its generated power. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.