An experimental investigation of SiC nanofluid as a base-fluid for a photovoltaic thermal PV/T system

The thermophysical properties of nanofluid composed of water and SiC nanoparticles without the use of a surfactant as a coolant for a PV/T system was investigated. It was observed that the addition of 3 wt% of these nanoparticles to water caused an increase in the resulting fluid density by up to 0.0082% and an increase of viscosity by up to 1.8%. Moreover, the thermal conductivity was enhanced by up to 8.2% for the tested temperature range of 25 degrees C-60 degrees C. The stability of the nanofluid was examined at intervals of three months and it was found that after six months the thermal conductivity reduced by up to 0.003 W/m K, indicating that the solution was stable and suitable for use for long periods. The use of 3 wt% SiC nanofluid increased the electrical efficiency by up to 24.1% compared to the PV system alone, while the thermal efficiency increased by up to 100.19% compared to the use of water for cooling. The final results indicated that the total effectiveness of the PV/T nanofluid system had a higher overall efficiency of about 88.9% compared to the separate PV system. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.