Numerical study on mixed convection cooling of solar cells with nanofluid

Abstract

In the present study, the mixed convection heat transfer for a nanofluid flow inside solar cell cooling system was numerically investigated. To this end, an inclined two-dimensional channel with insulated walls was taken under study. The solar cells were assumed to locate on one side of channel where the nanofluid enters at constant temperature. The study has been carried out for the Richardson numbers in the range 0.01 ⩽ Ri ⩽ 20, with solid volume fraction 0 ⩽ φ ⩽ 0.04, Reynolds number 100 and for Prandtl number 7.02. The effects of solid volume fraction and solar cells location in terms of Richardson number on the flow and temperature fields and also the heat transfer rate were studied. The results showed that the presence of nanoparticles led to an increase in temperature gradient and heat transfer near the solar cells. It was also observed that the maximum heat transfer in solar cells occurs in minimum inclination angle of channel at a certain relative distance between the cells.