Recent progress on flat plate solar collectors and photovoltaic systems in the presence of nanofluid: A review

The current review presents empirical and numerical analyses of thermal performance development in flat plate solar collectors (FPSCs). Generally, the productivity of photovoltaic (PV) modules diminishes with the increase of working temperature. Thus, many photovoltaic systems utilize various liquids to decreases the temperature of such modules. The operation of a PVT and thermal system employing nanofluids increases the electrical and the thermal energy. Thermal and electrical energies can be produced by a flat plate photovoltaic system, as shown by many papers. In the current review, two kinds of flat plate collectors are categorized and then discussed comprehensively (PVT and thermal systems). Utilizing nanofluids in such collectors provides a higher overall performance because of suspended nanoparticles’ greater thermal conductivity inside a base fluid. Studies illustrate employing 24% of alumina oxide, 12% of Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), 10% of copper oxide, and other types of nanofluids inside FPSCs. By studying the information resulted from numerical and empirical studies, it was observed that the increment in performances of around 29, 9, and 20–30% were obtained employing 0.2 wt% of alumina oxide, 0.05 wt% of copper oxide, and 1.0 wt% of MWCNT, respectively. Also, the heat transfer rates in plates are investigated with the change of other parameters. Therefore, some results and recommendations for future studies are expressed using nanofluids in the reviewed systems. The current review article provides a complete overview of the up-to-date developments, methods, critical economic factors, the significance of solar water heating, and the challenges faced by the implementations of such solar water heating systems, which could be beneficial for all stakeholders of solar energy.