Concentrated solar photovoltaic cell equipped with thermoelectric layer in presence of nanofluid flow within porous heat sink: Impact of dust accumulation

Abstract

Solar cell performance has been enhanced by means of a cooling system involving nanofluid jet impingement. A thermoelectric module has been located beneath the Tedlar layer resulting in greater electrical output. MWCNT nanoparticles were added to water as a testing fluid. The nanoparticles were concentrated up to a maximum value of 0.036, to achieve a homogenous mixture. To scrutinize the influence of dust accumulation on the performance of the unit, the transmissivity of glass was calculated based on dust density. Different concentration ratios (CR) were examined to assess their influence on the system's performance using Fresnel lenses in the setup. To further enhance the performance, the unit was tested both without (1) and with (2) pin fins. With the increase of CR from 2 to 14, the PV efficiency reduces by around 26.15% and 25.31% for cases 1 and 2, respectively. The value of TE efficiency for case 2 with CR=14 is 4.16 times greater than that with CR=2. The thermal efficiency of case 1 enhances by 4.8% with the growth of CR. For case 1, the improvement in PV, TE and thermal efficiencies is about 1.42%, 8.48% and 0.91%, respectively, with applying porous zones. Also, the temperature uniformity contributes a further 8.05% improvement. Thermal, TE and PV efficiency decrease respectively by about 7.69%, 12.11% and 26.47%, with an increase in dust density from 0 to 7.2 for case 2.