Modeling of nanofluid effect of performance of PVT system in existence of TEG

Abstract

This paper presents a detailed numerical modeling of a hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) unit combined with a TEG (thermoelectric generator), focusing on two key performance indicators: profit and CO₂ mitigation (CM). The study investigates how the unit's electrical and thermal outputs vary with different geometrical configurations of the cooling duct's cross sections. Four distinct geometries—circular, elliptical, triangular, and square—were analyzed, with results highlighting the effects of these shapes on system performance. The cooling medium used in the ducts is a hybrid nanofluid composed of copper and aluminum oxide nanoparticles suspended in water. This hybrid nanofluid was selected for its enhanced heat transfer properties, which directly impact the system's efficiency. The findings reveal that among the examined geometries, the triangular duct provides the best overall performance in terms of both profit and CM. Transitioning from a circular to a triangular duct results in a profit increase of approximately 2.58%, while CM improves by around 2.14%. Furthermore, increasing the inlet velocity of the coolant within the duct contributes to further gains, with profits and CM both enhanced by approximately 6% and 5%, respectively. The importance of current work lies in its demonstration that optimizing the cooling duct geometry, coupled with the use of hybrid nanofluids, can substantially improve both the economic and environmental performance of PVT-TEG systems.