The possibilities of using nano-CuO as coolants for PVT system: An experimental study

Abstract

Abstract Photovoltaic/thermal system (PVT) is a modern technology that increase the productivity of a PV panel through nanofluid cooling. In this study, the use of a group of nano-coolants consisting of nano-CuO plus water and surfactant was investigated. The study was conducted using a solar simulator and studied the thermophysical properties of the prepared fluids to demonstrate their effects on the PVT system cooling. Adding nanoparticles to water caused an increase in density and viscosity, but at a limited rate, and it did not have an effect during the experiments. The thermal conductivity of the nanofluids showed a clear increase compared to water, and the highest conductivity measured was 100.3% (when adding 2% nano-CuO). The Zeta potential test was used to measure the stability of the prepared nanofluids, and the results showed the high stability of all the prepared nanofluids. The stability of the suspension improved as the proportion of added nanoparticles decreased. The electrical, thermal, and total efficiencies improved with employing nanofluids to cool the PVT system compared to cooling with water alone. The maximum efficiencies obtained when adding 2% nano-CuO to the water were 29.92%, 61.08%, and 91% for electrical, thermal, and total efficiencies respectively..