Nurul Izzati Akmal Muhamed Rafaizul, Mohd Afzanizam Mohd Rosli, Poppy Puspitasari, Avita Ayu Permanasari, Norli Abdullah, Safarudin Gazali Herawan, Azrin Hani Abdul Rashid, Faridah Hussain
Photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) systems have become a promising technology for using solar radiation to generate thermal and electrical energy. However, the overheating tendency of PV cells can reduce the electrical output of PV/T systems, thereby limiting their efficiency. One way to increase the efficiency of PV/T systems is the utilization of nanofluids as the working fluid. This investigation uses water-based nanofluids based on graphene nanoplatelets to study the efficiency of PV/T systems. Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), the nanofluids, were prepared at a mass fraction of 0.6 wt.%, which, due to its thermophysical characteristics, was determined to be the ideal weight percentage. The surfactant utilized in this study was polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to improve the stability of the nanofluid and an amount of 40% from the GNP weight percentage was used as the weight percentage of the surfactant. The two-step method is implemented to formulate the nanofluid. The results obtained shows that the GNP/water nanofluids provide better thermal and electrical efficiency compared to distilled water with the highest thermal and electrical efficiency obtained was 80% and 8.9%, compared to water, 66.5% and 8.8%, respectively, and the overall enhancement of 17% at different flow rates and solar irradiance levels, emphasizing the significant role of nanofluid technology in advancing the sustainability and effectiveness of solar energy applications. This proved that the nanofluid could boost energy conversion and system efficiency because of its increased thermal and electrical efficiencies. © 2025, Semarak Ilmu Publishing. All rights reserved.
Faculty of Mechanical Technology and Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, Melaka, Durian Tunggal, 76100, Malaysia; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Malang, Semarang 5, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Centre of Advanced Material for Renewable Energy (CAMRY), Universitas Negeri Malang, Semarang 5, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Centre for Defence Foundation Studies, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia, Kem Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, 57000, Malaysia; Faculty of Engineering, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, 11430, Indonesia; Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Pagoh Campus, Johor, Pagoh, 84600, Malaysia; SIRIM Standard Technology Sdn Bhd, Seksyen 15, Selangor, Shah Alam, 40200, Malaysia
