Performance enhancement of a photovoltaic thermal system through two-phase nanofluid simulation in a channel equipped with novel artificial roughness

Abstract

Photovoltaic cells play an unparalleled role in producing solar energy as they directly transform sunlight into electricity. The efficiency and longevity of these equipment are significantly restricted by high temperature, and it is crucial to have an efficient cooling system in place. A numerical study based on the two-phase method is performed to assess the potential of a new discrete V-shaped and staggered ribs as artificial roughness to enhance the cooling of photovoltaic cells. The potential of water–Al2O3 nanofluid at a 1% concentration as the coolant is analyzed. Four rib shapes are evaluated, including square, circular, elliptical, and triangular. Employing ribs induces six vortices in downstream leading to a superior mixing intensity and a higher Nusselt number, resulting in a lower photovoltaic module temperature of up to 4.94 K and an improvement in its electrical efficiency from 14.08 to 14.41%. The temperature of the photovoltaic module drops up to 6.31 K by using nanofluid compared with water which improves the electrical efficiency from 13.54 to 13.97%. The best cooling performance is achieved with a triangular-shaped rib. The integration of nanofluid and ribbed channel increases the Figure of Merit parameter up to 2.39, improving both the electricity production and thermal efficiency of the Photovoltaic Thermal system.