Phase change materials based on nanoparticles for enhancing the performance of solar photovoltaic panels: A review

Phase change materials (PCMs) are one of the promising materials in thermal energy storage (TES) systems, while commonly utilized PCMs have weak thermal conductivity. Therefore, elevating high relatively thermally conductivity for the PCM composites using various nanoparticles with different named the nano-enhanced phase change material (NePCM) is an encouraging solution for regulating the PV temperatures and hence prolonging the lifetime of the utilized photovoltaics. The present paper introduces the cooling methods of PV panels as well as reviews the PV/PCM systems. Additionally, the cooling of photovoltaics based on the NePCM methods are studied showing the preparing methods of the NePCM nanocomposites. The results indicated the dispersion of NPs into the PCMs modifies the thermo-physical properties of PCM like melting temperature, supercooling degree, heat of fusion, viscosity, etc., as well as the mass fraction of NPs affects remarkably the enhanced thermal conductivity (TC) of NePCM nanocomposites. Thus, the NePCMs introduce superior characteristics of heat transfer as a result of intensifying the TC of PCM. Therefore, adding the nanoparticles to the PCM had a noteworthy potential for intensification the thermos-physical properties of PCM so it is a promising choice for TES in solar photovoltaics applications.

Automated summary

This paper introduces the importance and application of phase change materials (PCM) in thermal energy storage systems, and proposes a method of improving PCM thermal conductivity by adding nanoparticles. The study results show that nano-enhanced phase change materials (NePCM) have superior heat transfer characteristics, and have the potential for cooling photovoltaic cells.