Numerical approach of Al₂O₃-water nanofluid in photovoltaic cooling system using mixture multiphase model

Abstract

Abstract.This article aims to numerically analyze the cooling system of photovoltaic device using mixture multiphase model. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3)-water nanofluids at various concentration of 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 vol.% were used as cooling fluid for photovoltaic module. The constant and uniform heat flux of 800 W/m 2 was applied on photovoltaic (PV) module and the various cooling fluids flowed under PV module at Reynold number of 200 and 500. The temperature distribution and local heat transfer coefficient of cooling fluid were observed. The results show that increasing concentration of Al2O3 nanoparticle enhances the local heat transfer coefficient and decreases the temperature of PV cell. The significant enhancement of convection heat transfer of Al2O3-water nanofluid occur at entrance region. The operating temperature of PV cell can be decreased till 303 K for 2 vol.% Al2O3-water nanofluid at Reynold number of 500. IntroductionSolar energy is one of the most abundant renewable energy resources. The electrical devices which convert solar energy into electrical energy via photovoltaic mechanism such as silicon have been developed to gain maximum performance. One of the main factor that can decrease the efficiency of photovoltaic cells is temperature [1]. Moreover, the effect of temperature in photovoltaic devices also decrease the life time and stability of PV system. The cooling mechanism is one of the solution which is applied by researcher to decrease the operating temperature of PV panels. The various types of fluids which can be used as PV cooling system are air, water, ethylene glycol and nanofluid.Nanofluid is a fluid which dispersed nanomaterials with size typically of 1 to 100 nm. The use of nanomaterials have attracted the interest for many applications such as semiconductor, solar cells, nanofluid, sensor, and etc [2][3][4][5]. The dispersion process of nanoparticle will enhance thermal conductivity and specific heat of fluid [6]. The addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles into water have been reported to increase the performance of convection heat transfer [6]. The heat transfer characteristic of nanofluid had been successfully investigated by single-phase and multi-phase model [7,8]. However, the multi-phase model produce heat transfer prediction which is more accurate than the single-phase model, because the disorder movement of nanoparticle and its interaction with base fluid also considered. Movareji, et al [8] showed that Al2O3-water nanofluid under heat flux constant in the discrete phase model had enhancement in heat transfer coefficient and a good agreement with experimental results. Thus, this work will investigate the numerical investigation of Al2O3-water nanofluid as cooling fluid for photovoltaic cells by using two-phase mixture model approach. The

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Air Cooling for Photovoltaic Panels Using Aluminum Heat Sinks

“…The aluminum heat sink was mounted on the back of a vertical solar International Journal of Photoenergy panel; the fins of the panel were perforated to improve air circulation around them and allow the absorption of more heat from the PV panel. In the modeling program, the PV panel was assumed to be a unique composite layer [28][29][30]. Table 1 shows the properties of each layer in the solar module.…”

Improving Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Collectors: A Study of Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles and Flow Rate Optimization

“…The utilization of these nanoparticles is widespread in PV cooling applications because of their noteworthy characteristics such as high thermal conductivity, a substantial surface area, stability, compatibility, cost-effectiveness, and ease of integration. The prevalence of aluminum oxide nanoparticles in PV cooling is attributed to their ability to efficiently dissipate heat, thus playing a pivotal role in upholding the efficacy and durability of PV systems [33]. In this study, Al 2 O 3 nanofluids with particles sized at approximately 30 nm were purchased from US Research Nanomaterials, Inc., Houston, TX, USA.…”