[This article belongs to Volume - 54, Issue - 03]
Gongcheng Kexue Yu Jishu/Advanced Engineering Science
Journal ID : AES-17-04-2022-159

Title : Investigating the Effect of Self-Cleaning Coating and Forced Turbulence on the Photovoltaic Panel Performance
Reem Nasser, Mahmoud Tash, Iman El-Mahallawi,

Abstract : The urge to introduce renewable energy sources along with the conventional sources is highly increasing by the time. This is witnessed through the installed solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants around the world including the most recent Benban solar park-Aswan-Egypt. However, some challenges still hinder renewable energy projects from being widely applicable. The most serious challenges on spot are soiling, followed by temperature rise. This paper aimed at studying the PV panel performance on applying a coating made of nano-titania TiO2 with the addition of nano-alumina Al2O3 and a base of glycerol. Three coatings were prepared using different nano particles compositions. It was found out after an outdoor study held at El-Shrouk City-Egypt that the highest PV panel performance was obtained when the coating was prepared using Al2O3 and TiO2 nano particles composition with a ratio of 3:1. Cooling techniques such as using water basin and cooling fans for both the front and back surface were also implemented along with the coating. The aforementioned set-up resulted in increasing the PV power efficiency by 3.17% at adjusted wind speed of 4.2 m/s. This is also illustrated from the forced turbulence generated by the fan that has limited the excessive elevation of temperature by 44.7%.