Numerical analysis of thermal performance enhancement of photovoltaic–thermal system using ternary nanofluid

A photovoltaic–thermal (PVT) system equipped with CuO–MgO–TiO₂ as the ternary nanofluid transported via a serpentine tube for heat dissipation is proposed. The ternary fluid prevents overheating and enhances the thermal performance of the system. A numerical analysis was conducted using computational fluid dynamics with advanced consideration of the nanofluid concentration and temperature by involving specific input codes to predict the fluid properties. In the numerical analysis, the PVT system was evaluated using different nanofluid concentrations (0 %–0.9 %), inlet velocities (0.01–0.25 m/s), and solar irradiation magnitudes (300–1000 W/m²) under steady-state conditions. The results of a three-dimensional simulation indicate that employing a nanofluid with higher concentration and inlet velocity improves the convection during heat rejection from the plate surface. Although the investigation into the effect of nanofluid concentration indicates only a marginal contribution to temperature reduction, it enables more effective internal temperature distribution in the working fluid. Solar irradiation contributes further to the improvement of thermal performance by injecting more heat into the PVT system. The highest thermal performance enhancement of 40 % is achieved by accelerating the inlet velocity from 0.1 to 0.4 m/s. A subtle performance degradation is observed during concentration increments, which is counteracted by the substantial gains from the higher inlet velocity. The thermal performance of the PVT is improved by approximately 20 % when increasing the nanofluid concentration from 0 % to 0.5 % and solar irradiation from 700 to 1000 W/m². These thermal enhancements also correspond to notable carbon reduction potentials.