Journal of Energy Storage

Experimental investigation for a Hybrid Al2O3 Nanofluid-PCM Photovoltaic Thermal

System Based on Outdoor Test Conditions
--Manuscript Draft--

Manuscript Number:

Article Type: Research Paper

Keywords: photovoltaic cell, cooling, Nano Fluid, Al2O3, PCM, paraffin wax RT35

Corresponding Author: hossam gamal aliwa

EGYPT

First Author: hossam gamal aliwa

Order of Authors: hossam gamal aliwa

kareem emara

H. M. Abdelahmed

Osama Abdellatif

Abstract: This study presents a novel hybrid technique for optimizing the energy harvesting from
solar radiation using a combined cooling and heat storage mechanisms. The proposed
system is introducing a combination between nanofluids as a working fluid and a PCM
(Phase Change Material) as a heat storage element in a compact device. It
investigates experimentally the effect of using Nanofluid (Al2O3-water) and adding
PCM (paraffin wax RT35) as a coolant on the performance of PV cells. Firstly, the
cooling systems are tested for pure water and, pure water by adding PCM at different
flow rates of pure water (0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 l/min). After that, the impact of using
Nanofluid(Al2O3-water) is investigated at weight fraction 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4%
and the effect of adding PCM with a cooling Nanofluid circulation system at different
weight fractions on the performance of the PV module. Results show that the cooling
system works optimally when PCM (paraffin wax RT35) is added with a cooling
Nanofluid (Al2O3-water) at a concentration of 0.4% weight fraction and flow rate of
1.6l/min. It leads to a decrease in the PV cell temperature 8.39 and 12.11°C average
and maximum value across the day respectively, compared to the reference PV
module and the generated electricity of PV cell increased by 25.33% and 37.81 %
average and maximum value across the day respectively, compared to the reference
PV module. In addition, the total efficiency which is the sum of electrical and thermal
efficiencies reached 82.7%.

Suggested Reviewers: Saber Abdo, PhD

saber.abdo@bristol.ac.uk

Mohamed Abdelrahman
mohamed.abdelrahman@feng.bu.edu.eg

Mohamed Abdelaty
Mohamed.abdelaty@feng.bu.edu.eg

hind Saidani-Scott
h.saidani@bristol.ac.uk

Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation
Cover Letter

Experimental investigation for a Hybrid Al2O3 Nanofluid-PCM Photovoltaic

Thermal System Based on Outdoor Test Conditions

This paper represents a promising novel system utilisaing a combination of nanofluid and PCMs
for better energy harvesting using photovoltaic thermal systems. This is an advanced interesting
research that is based on experimental data which was gathered in an outdoor test conditions.

Thanks for your time and effort revising the manuscript.

Best regards
Authors
Highlights

 Experimental study on PV/T system using alumina nanofluid and PCM.

 System was tested outdoor using different nanofluid concentrations.
 The system reported an overall efficiency of 82.7% using the optimized concentration.
 The system that using both PCM and nanofluid was recommended for implementation.
Manuscript File Click here to view linked References

Experimental investigation for a Hybrid Al2O3 Nanofluid-PCM

1
2 Photovoltaic Thermal System Based on Outdoor Test Conditions
3
4 Hossam Aliwaa, Kareem Emaraa, H.M. Abd El-hameeda, Osama Ezzat Abdellatif b
5
6 a
Mechanical Engineering Department, Mataria Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University , Egypt.
7 b
8 Mechanical Engineering Department, Shoubra Faculty of Engineering, Benha University, Egypt.
9 Abstract
10
11 This study presents a novel hybrid technique for optimizing the energy harvesting from
12
13 solar radiation using a combined cooling and heat storage mechanisms. The proposed system
14
15
is introducing a combination between nanofluids as a working fluid and a PCM (Phase
16 Change Material) as a heat storage element in a compact device. It investigates
17
18 experimentally the effect of using Nanofluid (Al2O3-water) and adding PCM (paraffin wax
19
20 RT35) as a coolant on the performance of PV cells. Firstly, the cooling systems are tested for
21
22 pure water and, pure water by adding PCM at different flow rates of pure water (0.8, 1.2 and
23
24 1.6 l/min). After that, the impact of using Nanofluid(Al2O3-water) is investigated at weight
25
26
fraction 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4% and the effect of adding PCM with a cooling Nanofluid
27 circulation system at different weight fractions on the performance of the PV module.
28
29 Results show that the cooling system works optimally when PCM (paraffin wax RT35) is
30
31 added with a cooling Nanofluid (Al2O3-water) at a concentration of 0.4% weight fraction and
32
33 flow rate of 1.6l/min. It leads to a decrease in the PV cell temperature 8.39 and 12.11C
34
35 average and maximum value across the day respectively, compared to the reference PV
36
37 module and the generated electricity of PV cell increased by 25.33% and 37.81 % average
38 and maximum value across the day respectively, compared to the reference PV module. In
39
40 addition, the total efficiency which is the sum of electrical and thermal efficiencies reached
41
42 82.7%.
43
44 Key words: photovoltaic cell, cooling, Nano Fluid, Al2O3, PCM, paraffin wax RT35
45
46
Nomenclature
47 (A)∶ Module surface area (m2)
48
49 (Iopt)∶ Optimum module current (Amp)
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51 (Pin)∶ Incident solar radiation on the module (W)
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53 (Ppv)∶ Module output power (W)
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55 (Pmax): Maximum module output power (W)
56
57 (%Pincrease): improvement in output power for the cooling PV cell
58 (Pref): Reference module output power (W)
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61
62 1
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65
 (Pcooled): Cooled module output power (W)
1
2 (Tref): Reference module temperature (C)
3
4 (Tc): Cooled module temperature (C)
5
6 (Vopt )∶ Optimum module voltage (Volt)
7
8 (ΔT): Cooled module temperature (C)
9
10
(ηc)∶ Module electric efficiency
11
12
1- Introduction.
13
14 The International Energy Agency (IEA)'s annual projections indicate that the global energy
15
16 demand will continue to increase as the world population grows and poverty reduces. In its
17
18
2020 report, the IEA projects that by 2040, the world energy demand will increase by 19%.
19 Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal will supply about 80% of the energy required. The
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21 remaining sources include nuclear power, biofuels, hydro, and other renewables [1]. While the
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23 conventional energy sources are in decline to reduce the environmental impact and as
24
25 mentioned before, with the growing energy demand, there is an increasing need for renewable
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27 energy sources, including solar energy, wind power, hydropower, biofuel, and geothermal
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29
energy. The demand for fossil fuels reduces when the price of the renewable substitutes drops
30 under the fossil fuel price. Solar energy is a widely used renewable energy source; it is radiant
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32 light and heat energy from the sun. Solar energy can be collected using many systems, such as
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34 solar thermal energy system converts solar energy into heat, PV system converts solar energy to
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36 electricity and Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system converts solar energy to electricity and heat.
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38 PV systems have some drawbacks; only from 5 to 20% of the incident solar radiation can be
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40
converted into electricity. The rest is either reflected or absorbed by the solar cells as heat [2].
41 This heat causes a loss of electricity generation efficiency because of increased panel
42
43 temperature [3], [4]. For PV panels, high operating temperatures create a drop in the conversion
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45 rate of about 0.55% per degree temperature rise over the nominal cell operating temperature [5].
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47 This increase in temperature causes degradation in power generation and destructs the solar
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49 panel material structure [6]. To lower the temperature of PV panels to improve its electrical
50
efficiency, cooling of PV panels is required. Two cooling techniques are essentially used in
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52 PVT thermal systems, i.e. passive cooling and active cooling [7]. With active cooling, an
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54 external source of power is used to extract heat from the PV cell. The active cooling method is
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56 most effective due to the high convection heat transfer coefficient. It is also used in the research
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58 field of PV thermal systems for domestic heating applications [8].
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62 2
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 Air and water are two common cooling mediums used for heat extraction. Arifin Z et al. [9]
1
2 studied experimental and numerical analyses to investigate the reduction in the operating
3
4 temperature of PV panels with an air-cooled heat sink. They studied the influence of fins on
5
heat dissipation and air circulation at the back surface of the PV panel. Their results indicated
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7 that their proposed heat sink could reduce the panel temperature by 12.5  C at 1000 W/m2 and
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9 air velocity of 1.5 m/s. They found that the power output increased by 18.67% compared with
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11 the uncooled panel. Mojumder et el. [10] studied the thermal and electrical energy for the PV
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13 thermal system by using a single pass air collector with thin rectangular fins added to the solar
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15 collector for heat dissipation. The results showed maximum electrical and thermal efficiency
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17
obtained was 13.75% and 56.19%, respectively, for four fins at 0.14 kg/s of mass flow rate and
18 700W/m2 of solar radiation.
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20 Water-cooled PV panels have been intensively studied in the last two decades due to high
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22 thermal characteristics of water. Gomaa et al. [11] analysed two different effective cooling
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24 techniques with new designs are proposed and experimentally evaluated to enhance the
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26 performance of solar PV systems. The first technique is direct active cooling with water,
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28
whereas the second technique is passive cooling that uses fins mounted on the backside of the
29 PV module. The results showed the maximum temperature values are 38, 55, and 58 C for
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31 water-cooling, fins cooling, and non-cooling module, respectively. It was found that the average
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33 improvement using water and fins as a heat sink as coolants are 8.17% and 5.8%, respectively,
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35 in comparison with no cooling. Zilli et al. [12] evaluated the effect of water sprinklers to cool
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37 PV modules under high and low levels of radiation intensity. Their results showed that the
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39 electrical power was increased by 12.26% and 8.48% at high and low levels of irradiation,
40 respectively, compared with the uncooled system under the same conditions. Saxena et al. [13]
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42 studied the effect of cooling solar panels with water using a passive cooling system. The
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44 experimental based on indoor test facility under radiation intensity from 87.38 to 359.17 W/m2.
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46 Their results showed that for a continuous water flow rate of 0.6 l/min, the solar panel's power
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48 output was increased by 29% compared with the uncooled system.
49
50 The new trend of modern technologies, like Nano particles and Nano fluids, can produce high-
51 quality materials properties compared to water and air reducing or eliminating the effect of high
52
53 temperature. Aberoumand et al. [14] investigated the electrical efficiency of a photovoltaic/
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55 thermal (PVT) system cooled by Ag/water Nano fluid. The results indicated that by cooling the
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57 PV panels, the electrical efficiency could be improved significantly. Using 4 wt% Nano fluid,
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59 the panel's power output was increased by 35% and 10% compared to when no (water) cooling
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62 3
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 was applied. Rahmanian and Hamzavi [15] studied the effect of CNT concentration and
1
2 Nanofluidflow rate on PVT systems' electrical and thermal efficiency. With a flow rate of 50
3
4 L/h of 0.1 v% CNT-Nano Fluid, the electrical efficiency of the PVT system increased by 11%
5
6
compared to the PV system at an ambient temperature of 40C. Sathyamurthy et al. [16]
7 presented an experimental investigation using CNT/Al2O3 hybrid Nano particles in a PVT
8
9 system using a spiral tube collector. The experimental study found that the average surface
10
11 temperature of PV, PVT with water and PVT with hybrid Nano Fluids cooling system is
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13 42.58C, 31C and 28.7C, respectively. The enhancement observed in the average electrical
14
15 efficiency with water and Nanofluidwas 7.15 and 8.2%, respectively, whereas the standalone
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17 PV panel improved by 6.2%. The efficient removal of heat from the collector increased the
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19
power production by 11.7 and 21.4% using water and hybrid Nanofluid in the PVT system
20 respectively, compared to the standalone PV system. Jia et al. [17] studied the influences of
21
22 Nanofluid type on the performance of PVT collector by numerical analysis at different flow
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24 rates (0.0005, 0.001, 0.01 and 0.03) kg/s. The results indicate that the performances of PVT
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26 collectors with A12O3 /water Nanofluid are better than that of the PVT collector using
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28 TiO2/water Nano Fluid. At the mass flow rate of Nanofluid is 0.03 kg/s, the electrical power of
29
the PVT collector is much higher than that of the PVT collector. The most significant electrical
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31 power difference of the PVT collector for the mass flow rate of 0.03 kg/s and 0.0005 kg/s is 2.5
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33 W. The thermal power for 0.03 kg/s mass flow rate is 12.11% higher than that of the mass flow
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35 rate of 0.0005 kg/s. Diwania et al. [18] investigated the performance of the hybrid PVT
36
37 collector with Cu and Al2O3 as Nano Fluids and the impact of different vol% and mass flow
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39 rate of Nano Fluid. The mathematical model has been developed using energy balance
40 equations. The result showed that the Cu/ water Nanofluid application results in a better
41
42 performance of the hybrid PVT collector concerning the Al2O3/ water Nano Fluid. At a 0.03
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44 kg/s mass flow rate, around 4C reduction in the temperature of PV was realized using Cu/water
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46 Nanofluid(2 vol%), which results in approximately a 2.9% enhancement in electric efficiency
47
48 concerning the base fluid. Abdallah et al. [19] studied to evaluate the performance of a PVT
49
50 system using Nanofluid consisting of Al2O3 suspended in water as base fluid. Firstly, tests were
51
52
performed with different flow rates of water as a cooling agent, followed by using various
53 volume concentrations as a working fluid at the highest flow rate. The results showed that using
54
55 0.1%V and 1.2 l/min Nano fluid, the reduction in PV module temperature by 10C and 8.6C,
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57 increases the combined performance of PVT by 74% and 56%, at the maximum solar radiation
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59 and average across the day.
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62 4
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 Passive cooling extracts heat from PV panels without an external source of power. These
1
2 systems are less effective in terms of heat transfer as they depend on the buoyancy effect.
3
4 However, these systems are preferred from an economic viewpoint; they have lower
5
maintenance costs and require less energy for circulating fluids. Phase Change Materials (PCM)
6
7 cooling system is among the latest studies that aimed to thermally control solar panels,
8
9 consequently enhancing the electrical performance of solar panels. The PCM's high thermal
10
11 storage receives all the heat transferred from the PV panel. Luo Z et al. [20] investigated
12
13 experimentally and numerically the effect of using Paraffin/expanded Graphite composite to
14
15 control the temperature of a PV panel. The experiment showed that compared with the
16 temperature of a conventional PV panel, the temperature of the PV-PCM panel is kept below 50
17
18 C for 200 min extended by 146 min with an output power averagely increased by 7.28% due to
19
20 heating process. This research aims to experimentally present combined; active and passive
21
22 cooling techniques using the Nanofluid(Al2O3-water) with five concentrations and PCM
23
24 (paraffin wax RT35). This combined technology system can reduce the temperature of a PV
25
26 module better than by using Nanofluid only.
27
28
29 2- Experimental setup.
30
31
This study investigates experimentally the effect of using Nanofluid(Al2O3-water) and PCM
32 as a coolant on the performance of PV modules. For this study, three identical mono-
33
34 crystalline PV modules, each of 10-watt, were used. Firstly, the cooling systems were tested
35
36 for pure water as well as pure water plus PCM (paraffin wax RT35), and the effect on the
37
38 performance of the PV module was studied at different flow rates compared to the
39
40 standalone PV system. Secondly, an experimental measurement was carried out to
41
42
investigate the impact of using Nano particle material (Alumina Al2O3) at different weight
43 fractions and the effect of adding phase change material PCM (paraffin wax RT35) in the
44
45 Nanofluid cooling system at different weight fractions on the performance the PV module
46
47 compared to the standalone PV system.
48
49 Figures 1 and 2 are schematics and photographs of the present experimental apparatus.
50
51 There are two cooling systems. The first system consists of a copper pipe of 2 m length and
52
1/4'' diameter fabricated into six paths, used to pass the water or the Al2O3/water Nano fluid.
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54 Each pipe is fixed on a copper sheet with dimension (345*255*0.1mm) and attached to the
55
56 PV back surface figure 3, which is insulated using 0.025m glass wool. The pipe is located
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58 inside a closed-loop of cooling agent, including a 5 litres tank (dimensions of 0.2 m diameter
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62 5
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 and 0.3 m height) is insulated with 0.025m glass wool with inlet and outlet ports, DC
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2 circulation pump and control valves to control the flow rates of the cooling fluid.
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37 Figure 1: A schematic drawing of the experimental setup.
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39 The second cooling system is the same as the first, but the PCM box adds to it in the cooling
40
41 agent path. The paraffin wax (RT35) is poured into a steel box with the dimension of
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43
345*255*150mm. This box contains a copper pipe of 2.5 m length and 1/4'' diameter and is
44 fabricated into six paths. These paths are attached to a 0.1mm copper sheet to improve the
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46 PCM and cooling agent's heat transfer, shown in figure 4. PCM stores large quantities of
47
48 thermal energy at nearly constant temperature and has high thermal storage, allowing it to
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50 receive all the heat transfers from the cooling agent. All experiment components are placed
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52 in an adjusted stand with 1200*1000*30mm dimensions fabricated from aluminum. Table 1
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54
represents components of the test rig. The power output from the cells is measured by
55 knowing the PV module current and voltage, measured by a variable load circuit consisting
56
57 of the variable resistance and digital multi-meters. The temperature of the PV modules, inlet
58
59 and outlet fluid and PCM temperature is measured using T-type thermocouples connected to
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62 6
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 data loggers, as shown in the schematic drawing. Solar radiation is measured during the
1
2 operation using a digital solar power meter located at the same level as PV modules; a digital
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4 environmental meter measures the ambient temperature and wind speed. A flow meter is
5
6
used to estimate the cooling agent volume flow rate. Table 2 presents the technical
7 specifications for the major component of the test apparatus, whereas table 3 represents
8
9 specifications of the measuring devices.
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57 Figure 2: Photograph for the present experimental
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62 7
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 Table 1: represents components of the all test rig .
1
2
3
4
Component
Component type
5 number
6 PV module 10Watt (345*255*18 mm)
7 1
with cooling pipes
8
9 2 Copper pipes 1/4"
10
11 Copper sheet with dimension
12 3
(345*255*0.1mm)
13
Figure
14 4 Thermocouple
15
16 3: Back surface cooling circuit 5 5 Liter tank
17
18 6 DC pump
19
20
21 7 1/4" Ball valve
22
23 8 Flow meter
24
25 9 Digital solar power meter
26
27 10 Environmental meter
28
29 Variable Load circuit with digital
30
11
millimeters
31
32 12 Box (345*255*150 mm)
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34 13 PCM (Paraffin wax RT35)
35
36 14 Lap top
37 .
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39 15 Data acquisition system
Figure 4: PCM box
40
41
42 Table 2: Technical specification of the major component.
43
44 Item Specifications
45
46 Cell type Mono-Crystalline
47
48 Peak power (Pmax) 10W +/- 3%
49 PV module Dimensions (mm) W x L x D 255 x 345x18 +/- 2%
50
51 Maximum power voltage (Vmp) 17.5 Volts
52
53 Maximum power current (Imp) 0.57 Amp
54 Power 4.3w
55 DC pump
56 Max flow rate 1.6 l/min
57
58
59
60
61
62 8
63
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 Table 3: Technical Specifications of the devices are used.
1
2
3 Item Specifications
4 Range Up to 2000 W/m2
5
6 Digital solar power meter Resolution 0.1 W/m2
7
8 Accuracy ±10 W/m2
9
10 Digital environmental
Temperature range - resolution - -10C to 60C - 0.1C - ±1.5C
11 accuracy
12 meter Velocity range - resolution – 1.6 to 65.7 ft/s - 0.1 ft/s - ±3%
13 accuracy
14
Temperature measuring range -270C to 400C for Type T
15
16
Resolution 0.1C
17 Data acquisition system
18
Temperature accuracy ±0.5C
19
20 Software Pico Log 6
21
22 Range 10−100 LPH
23 Flow meter
Accuracy ±4%
24
25
Variable resistance 50Ω±1%
26
27 Variable load circuit DC voltage measuring accuracy ±0.5%
28
29 DC current measuring accuracy ±1%
30 42000 Hz
31 Frequency
32 Ultra sonic water Path Tank size 2 litres
33
34 Maximum operating 80 C
35 temperature
36
37 3- Experimental Procedures.
38
39 At first, the PV modules were tested under natural air cooling to ensure that the three PV
40
41 modules were identical in their performance. The practical experiment started with two
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43 cooling systems, water and water plus paraffin wax. Paraffin was prepared as it was inside a
44
45 container in the form of a solid substance that was heated to the possibility of pouring it into
46
47 the PCM box and cooled down to turn into a solid substance again. This process is shown in
48
49
figures 5, 6 and 7. The temperature of all thermocouple points recorded by laptop, the
50 Optimum voltage and Optimum current were measured by Variable load circuit. Next, the
51
52 power of the cells and the electrical efficiency was calculated. This setup was carried out
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54 from June to July 2021, and the data was collected daily every 30 minutes from 8.30 AM to
55
56 5 PM. The experiment was repeated at a different flow rate of 1.6, 1.2 and 0.8 l/min.
57
58 For the second part of the practical experiments, Nanofluid (Al2O3/water) was used instead
59
60
of pure water. The Nanofluid (Al2O3/water) was prepared with five different concentrations
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62 9
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 (φ) of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 wt%. The Nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the
1
2 water by an ultra-Sonic water path for three hours to ensure both stability and homogeneity
3
4 of the Nano Fluid, which is displayed in figure 8. The thermo physical characteristics of the
5
Nano materials and PCM are shown in table 4.
6
7 The total power input to the PVT collector was calculated by
8
9 ( )
10
( ⁄ ) Watt Equ.1
11
12 The output electricity was calculated by
13
14
Watt Equ.2
15
The electrical efficiency of the PV module was calculated by
16
17
18 ⁄ Equ.3
19
20
21 The average decrease in temperature due to cooling was calculated by
22 ∑ ( )
23 Equ.4
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25 The percentage increase of power electrical compared with the reference uncooled panel was
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27 calculated by
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29 Equ.5
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31 4. Measuring errors and uncertainty.
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33 The uncertainty analysis for measurements and calculations was done using the accurate
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35 values obtained from the calibration and the provided specification for different devices as
36
37 shown before in table 2 as follow [21]:
38
39
40
41 [( ) ( ) ( ) ] Equ.6
42
43
44
The calculated uncertainty was found to be ±3 %. The result of uncertainty is indicated as a
45 high accuracy in measurements.
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62 11
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 1
2
3
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9
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14
Figure 5: Container of PCM Figure 6: PCM during the pouring
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33 Figure 7: PCM a solid substance Figure 8: Ultra Sonic water Path
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35 Table 4: Thermo physical characteristics of the Nano materials and PCM.
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37 Item Specifications
38
Supplier Inframat® Advanced Materials
39
40 Corporation, USA
41 Dimensions 50 nm average particle size
42 Purity 99.8% alumina (Al2O3)
43 Nano material Colour White
44 Specific heat 773 J/kg.C
45
Thermal conductivity 36 w/m.C
46
47 Density 3700 kg/m3
48 Supplier RUBITHERM®, Berlin,
49 Germany
50 Type Paraffin wax RT35
51 Melting area 29-36 main peak 33 [C]
52
53
Congealing area 36-31 main peak 35 [C]
Phase Change Material
54 (PCM) Heat storage capacity 160 [kJ/kg]
55 ±7.5%
56 Specific heat capacity 2 [kJ/kg. k]
57 Density liquid 0.77 [kg/l]
58 Density solid 0.68 [kg/l]
59
60
Heat conductivity 0.2 [W/(m. k)]
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62 11
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 5- Results and discussion.
1
2  The effect of pure water and pure water plus PCM cooling systems on PV modules'
3
4 performance at different flow rates is mainly 1.6, 1.2, and 0.8 l/min.
5
6
7 Figures 9.a and 9.b present the metrological data (solar radiation and dry bulb
8
9
temperature), respectively, at different volume flow rates. It can be noted that the maximum
10 solar radiation was between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM and reached values between 717 and
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12 780 W/m2.
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32 (9.a) (9.b)
33 Figure 9: Variation of metallurgical conditions through the day time (9.a) solar radiation, (9.b)
34
ambient dry bulb temperature
35
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37 In figures 10.a, 10.b and 10.c, the average values of the surface temperature of the cooled
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39
PV module by pure water PVT, by pure water plus PCM (PVT/PCM) and the reference
40 (stand-alone) PV module at different flow rates are presented.
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59 (10.a) (10.b)
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62 12
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 Table 5 Summary of the reduction in module temperatures at different flow rates.
1
2
3
4
5 Figure 10: The variation of surface
6 module temperature throughout the
7
8 day at different flow rates (10.a) 1.6
9
10 l/min, (10.b) 1.2 l/min and (10.c) 0.8
11 l/min.
12
13
14
15
16
17
18 (10.c)
19
20
21 Table 5: The reduction in module temperatures at different flow rates.
22
23 Reduction in module temperature (C)
24 Flow Rate
25 Pure water (PVT) Pure water plus PCM (PVT/PCM)
26 (l/min)
27 Average Max value Average Max value
28
29
1.6 3.87 5.6 6.13 8.2
30 1.2 3.06 5.13 5.04 7.45
31
32 0.8 2.13 3.35 3.98 6.17
33
34
35 From the above figures and table and their analysis, it can be noted that the PV module
36
37
cooled by water plus PCM is cooler than the PV module, which is cooled by water only. The
38 PCM box absorbed the heat from the water throughout the day. The result showed that by
39
40 increasing the flow rate, the temperature of the cooling module decreases and the flow rate of
41
42 1.6 l/min is the optimum flow rate. The highest average and maximum reduction in module
43
44 temperature at PVT system compared to a PV stand-alone are 3.87C and 5.6C. In contrast,
45
46 the highest average and maximum reduction in module temperature at a PVT/PCM system
47
48 compared to a PV stand-alone are 6.13C and 8.2C, with a flow rate of 1.6 l/min. This
49
50 effect is caused by the increase of heat transfer rate.
51
52 Figures 11.a, 11.b and 11.c represent the output power generated and figures 12.a, 12.b
53
54 and 12.c displays the electrical efficiency of the PVT module, the PVT module plus PCM
55
56 (PVT/PCM) and reference module at different flow rates. Table 6 summarizes the results
57
58 obtained for generated electricity at different cooling fluid flow rates.
59
60
61
62 13
63
64
65
 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12 (11.a) (12.a)
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30 (11.b)
31 (12.b)
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49 (11.c) (12.c)
50
51 Figure 11: Generated electricity from PV/T, Figure 12: electrical efficiency for PVT,
52 PVT/PCM and reference module at different
53 PVT/PCM and reference module at different
54
flow rates. (11.a) 1.6 l/min, (11.b) 1.2 l/min, flow rates. (12.a) 1.6 l/min, (12.b) 1.2 l/min,
55
56 (11.c) 0.8 l/min. .(12.c) 0.8 l/min
57
58
59
60
61
62 14
63
64
65
 Table 6: Percentage generated electricity increase at different flow rates.
1
2
3 % Generated electricity increase
4
Flow Rate
5 Pure water (PVT) Pure water plus PCM (PVT/PCM)
6 (l/min)
7 Average Max value Average Max value
8
9 1.6 8.97 14.09 17.38 24.69
10
11
1.2 6.18 11.11 13.88 19.70
12 0.8 4.80 10.07 11.19 18.41
13
14
15
16
17 From the upper figures and analysis, it can be noted that the power generation has a similar
18 trend of solar radiation. The maximum generated electricity occurs at maximum solar
19
20 radiation. Also the output power decreases with an increase of PV module temperature.
21
22 Results showed that the reduction in the PV module temperature causes the PV generated
23
24 electricity to increase. The highest average and maximum percentage of the increased
25
26 generated electricity in the PVT cooling system compared to a PV stand-alone is 8.97 and
27
28
14.09, respectively. In contrast, the highest average and maximum percentage of the increase
29 the generated electricity in the PVT/PCM cooling system compared to a PV stand-alone is
30
31 17.38 and 24.69, respectively with the flow rate of 1.6 l/min.
32
33
34  The effect of Alumina Nanofluid and Alumina Nanofluid plus PCM cooling systems on
35
36 PV modules' performance at different weight fractions concentration are 0.05, 0.1, 0.2,
37
38 0.3, and 0.4% w.t at an optimum flow rate of 1.6 l/min.
39
40 Figures 13.a and 13.b present the metrological data (solar radiation and dry bulb
41
42 temperature) at different Nanofluid weight fractions. It can be noted that the highest solar
43
44 radiation exists between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM and reached values between 768 and 790
45
46 W/m2.
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 15
63
64
65
 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 (13.a) (13.b)
17
18
19 Figure 13: Variation of metallurgical conditions through the day time (13.a) Solar radiation
20
21 and (13.b) Ambient dry bulb temperature for the different weight fraction concentration
22
23
24 In figures 14.a, 14.b, 14.c, 14.d and 14.e, the average values of the surface temperature of
25
26 the cooled PV module by Nanofluid(PVT), the cooled PV module by Nanofluid plus PCM
27
28 (PVT/PCM) and the reference (standalone) PV module at different weight fractions are
29
30 presented. With weight fractions of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 % w.t at an optimum flow rate
31
32 1.6 l/min. Table 7 summarizes the reduction in module temperatures at different weight
33 fractions for two systems.
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54 (14.a) (14.b)
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 16
63
64
65
 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 (14.c) (14.d)
16
17
18
19 Figure 14: Variation of module surface
20
21 temperature for different Al2O3 weight
22
fraction through the day time (14.a)
23
24 0.05%w.t (14.b) 0.1% w.t (14.c) 0.2% w.t
25
26 (14.d) 0.3% w.t (14.e) 0.4% w.t
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34 (14.e)
35
36 Table 7: Reduction of PV module temperature due to the Nanofluid cooling system and
37
38 Nanofluid plus PCM cooling system.
39
40
41
Reduction in module temperature (C )
42 Φ (%w.t) Nanofluid(PVT) Nanofluid plus PCM (PVT/PCM)
43
44 Average Max value Average Max value
45
46 0 3.87 5.6 6.13 8.2
47
48 0.05 4.22 7.14 6.32 10.26
49 0.1 4.65 7.19 6.74 10.39
50
51 0.2 4.86 8.05 6.89 11.26
52
53 0.3 5.34 8.55 7.37 11.76
54
55 0.4 5.64 8.58 8.39 12.11
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 17
63
64
65
 From the different figures and tables, it can be noted that adding Al2O3 Nano particles to the
1
2 water decreases the temperature of the PV module more than using pure water for cooling.
3
4 The highest average and maximum reduction in module temperature at the PVT (Nano
5
6
Fluid) system compared to a PV stand-alone is 5.64C and 8.58C. The highest average and
7 maximum reduction in module temperature of a PVT (Nano Fluid)/ PCM system compared
8
9 to the PV stand-alone is 8.39C and 12.11C, with a weight fraction of 0.4%w.t at the
10
11 optimum flow rate is 1.6 l/min. The appreciable heat transfer enhancement can illustrate this
12
13 effect due to Nano particles added to the fluid. The increase in heat transfer rate is related to
14
15 the increase in the thermal conductivity of the cooling fluid.
16
17
18
Figures 15.a, 15.b, 15.c, 15.d and 15.e represents the generated output power and Figures
19 16.a, 16.b, 16.c, 16.d and 16.e represents the electrical efficiency for the PV module with
20
21 cooling by Nanofluid plus PCM as well as the PV module with cooling by Nanofluid only
22
23 and reference module at weight fractions of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4%w.t Al2O3
24
25 respectively. Table 8 summarizes results obtained for generated electricity at weight fractions
26
27 of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4%w.t Al2O3.
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50 (15.a) (15.b)
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 18
63
64
65
 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17 (15.c) (15.d)
18
19
20
21
22
23 Figure 15: Generated electricity from PVT
24 (Nano Fluid), PVT (Nano Fluid)/PCM and
25
26 reference module for different Al2O3
27
28 weight fraction through the day time (15.a)
29 0.05%w.t (15.b) 0.1% w.t (15.c 0.2% w.t
30
31 (15.d) 0.3% w.t (15.e) 0.4% w.t
32
33
34
35
36
37 (15.e)
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57 (16.a) (16.b)
58
59
60
61
62 19
63
64
65
 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 (16.d)
(16.c)
17
18
19
20
21
22 Figure 16: electrical efficiency for PVT (Nano
23
24 Fluid), PVT (Nano Fluid)/PCM and reference
25 module for different Al2O3 weight fraction
26
27 through the day time (16.a) 0.05%w.t (16.b)
28
29 0.1% w.t (16.c) 0.2% w.t (16.d) 0.3% w.t
30 (16.e) 0.4% w.t
31
32
33
34
35
36
37 (16.e)
38
39 Table 8: Percentage generated electricity increase due to the Nanofluid cooling system and
40
41 Nanofluid plus PCM cooling system at different weight fractions.
42
43
44
45 % Generated electricity increase
46 Φ (%w.t) Nanofluid(PVT) Nanofluid plus PCM (PVT/PCM)
47
48 Average Max value Average Max value
49
50 0 8.97 14.09 17.38 24.69
51
52 0.05 9.22 17.46 17.60 26.84
53
54
0.1 9.32 18.30 17.85 27.66
55 0.2 9.63 19.21 18.38 32.79
56
57 0.3 11.78 21.72 20.26 32.75
58
59 0.4 12.83 21.87 25.33 37.81
60
61
62 21
63
64
65
 From the above figures and table and their analysis, adding Nano particles to the cooling
1
2 water causes the heat transfer to increase and the temperature of the PV module to decrease,
3
4 leading to an increase in the output power. Increasing weight fraction increases the PV
5
module output power up to reaching an optimum enhancement at 0.4%w.t fraction.
6
7 Compared to the PV stand-alone, the highest average and maximum percentage of increasing
8
9 the generated electricity in the PVT (Nano Fluid) cooling system is 12.83 and 21.87. In
10
11 contrast, the highest average and maximum percentage of increasing the generated electricity
12
13 in the PVT (Nano Fluid)/PCM cooling system compared to the PV stand-alone is 25.33 and
14
15 37.81, respectively, when the weight fraction of 0.4%w.t at the optimum flow rate 1.6 l/min.
16 This means, by increasing the concentration of Nano Fluid, the thermal conductivity rises, so
17
18 the heat transfers increases.
19
20
21 Figure 17 present how much the total electrical and thermal energy produced by using
22
23 optimum cooling system with PV when PCM (paraffin wax RT35) is added with a cooling
24
25 Nanofluid(Al2O3-water) at concentration of 0.4% weight fraction and flow rate of 1.6l/min.
26
In addition, the total solar power input.
27
28
29 The term total efficiency has been widely used in the performance evaluation of PVT
30
31 system, which is the sum of electrical and thermal efficiencies of the system. Figure 18
32
33 shows the total efficiency of using optimum cooling system with PV, which is 82.7%
34
35
36 450
37 414.4 414.4 Total solar power
38 400
39
40 Electrical energy
350
41
42 300
Energy (W.h)/day

257.8 Thermal energy by

43
Nano Fluid
44 250
45 Thermal energy by
46 200 PCM
47
48 150
49
50 100
61.3
51 48.6
52 50 23.6
53
54 0
55 PV1 (Ref.) PV2 (Nano+PCM)
56
57 Figure 17: Input solar radiation energy, thermal and electrical energy
58
59 production by using optimum cooling system with PV
60
61
62 21
63
64
65
 1 90% Thermal Efficiency by PCM
2
3 80%
4 Thermal Efficiency by Nano
5 70% Fluid
6
60% Electrical Efficiency
7
8
9 50% 62.2%
10
11 40%
12
13 30%
14
15 20%
5.7%
16
17 10%
18 11.7% 14.8%
19 0%
20 PV1 (Ref.) PV2 (Nano+PCM)
21
22
23 Figure 18: The thermal and electrical efficiency by using optimum cooling system
24 with PV
25
26 6- Conclusion.
27
28 This paper aimed to investigate the effect of a hybrid Nanofluid-PCM system based on
29
30 outdoor test conditions. The experimental results obtained showed that by increasing the
31
32 flow rate, the power output of the PV module also increases. The flow rate of 1.6 l/min was
33 optimised in this study. Using a combination between pure water and PCM, the module
34
35 temperature was reduced by 6.13 and 8.2C as average and maximum value across the day,
36
37 respectively, compared to the reference PV module. This reduction caused the generated
38
39 electricity to increase by 17.38% and 24.69 % on average and maximum value across the day
40
41 respectively compared to the reference PV module.
42
43 The optimum volume fraction for Alumina Nanofluid was obtained at 0.4% wt. fraction. By
44 using this Nanofluid plus RT-35 as a PCM, the module temperature was reduced by 8.39 and
45
46 12.11C on average and maximum value across the day, respectively, compared to the
47
48 reference PV module. Using this system, the generated electricity was increased by 25.33%
49
50 and 37.81% on average and maximum value across the day, respectively, compared to the
51
52 reference PV module. Besides, the overall system efficiency was recorded as 82.7% across
53
54
the day.
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 22
63
64
65
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Conflict of Interest

Experimental investigation for a Hybrid Al2O3 Nanofluid-PCM Photovoltaic

Thermal System Based on Outdoor Test Conditions

This is a decleration that there is no conflict in interest with any other

institutions rather than mentioned ones in the manuscript (Authors
institutions)

Best regards
Authors