Experimental investigation of CuO-water nanofluid concentration effects: Novel strategies for enhancing the efficiency of photovoltaic finned thermal collectors

Arifin, Zainal and Regannant, Farrel Julio and Dwi Prasetypo, Singgih and Alfaiz, Noval Fattah and Bhre Bangun, Watuhumalang and Mohd Rosli, Mohd Afzanizam (2025) Experimental investigation of CuO-water nanofluid concentration effects: Novel strategies for enhancing the efficiency of photovoltaic finned thermal collectors. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems, 12 (6). pp. 1971-1980. ISSN 2369-0739

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Abstract

Solar energy is an extensively utilized renewable resource due to its plentiful availability. However, the efficiency of solar panels can diminish as their operating temperatures rise. To mitigate this problem, it is crucial to have an effective cooling system for sustaining optimal temperatures. One effective solution is the integration of photovoltaic and thermal components within a combined photovoltaic thermal collector (PV/T) system. This study focuses on advancing the PV/T system by incorporating internal fins into the collector design. These fins help create turbulence in the fluid flow, significantly enhancing the system's heat transfer performance. A unique aspect of this research is the experimental exploration of combining these internal fins with CuO-water nanofluids, a topic that has not been widely studied in previous research. The aim is to evaluate the operational effectiveness of finned PV/T systems that utilize CuO-water nanofluids in various concentrations as working fluids. The experiments were conducted outdoors, with irradiance levels varying from 560 to 1000 W/m². The performance of solar panels equipped with PV/T systems using different working fluids—water, 0.2% volume CuO-water nanofluid, 0.4% volume CuO-water nanofluid, and 0.6% volume CuO-water nanofluid—was compared. Findings revealed that employing the PV/T system with these working fluids can decrease the solar panel operating temperature by 13.14℃, 17.78℃, 18.46℃, and 18.97℃, respectively. The electrical efficiency observed for the PV/T system varied, yielding 11.25% for water, 12.7% for 0.2% vol. CuO-water nanofluid, 12.95% for 0.4% vol. CuO-water nanofluid, and 13.27% for 0.6% vol. CuO-water nanofluid. Thermal efficiency was recorded for each PV/T system at 32.32%, 68.18%, 76.08%, and 78.11%, respectively.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Photovoltaic-thermal collector (PV/T), Cu-Owater nanofluid, Thermal efficiency, Electrical efficiency, heat transfer enhancement
Divisions:	Faculty Of Mechanical Technology And Engineering
Depositing User:	Norfaradilla Idayu Ab. Ghafar
Date Deposited:	11 Aug 2026 03:14
Last Modified:	11 Aug 2026 03:14
URI:	http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/30265
Statistic Details:	View Download Statistic

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