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Abstract
Abstract. Introduction. In arid and highly dusty regions, the accumulation of dust on the surface of photovoltaic modules restricts the transmission of solar radiation to the active layer, thereby reducing electrical power generation efficiency. At the same time, preventing excessive overheating of PV panels and ensuring their regular cleaning from dust and other contaminants are complicated by the limited availability of freshwater resources, which represents a significant operational challenge.
Methods and materials. In this study, an integrated PV/T-MD system was developed in which a PV module is cooled using an Al2O3/H2O nanofluid, while the recovered low-grade thermal energy is utilized in a membrane distillation process for desalination of saline or mineralized water. The produced distillate is subsequently used in an adaptive PV panel cleaning system. A three-dimensional model of the PV/T module incorporating three parallel nanofluid channels was developed and numerically simulated in COMSOL Multiphysics using the finite element method.
Results. Numerical simulation showed that the temperature within the PV/T module varied in the range of 297-320 K, while the nanofluid flow velocity ranged from 0.060 to 0.103 m/s. The maximum hydraulic pressure drop in the parallel channels was approximately 13.1 Pa.
Conclusion. The proposed PV/T-MD system enables the integration of PV module cooling, recovery and reuse of low-grade thermal energy, production of technically clean distillate from saline water, and autonomous dust removal from photovoltaic panels within a single technological loop. The developed system represents a promising energy- and resource-efficient solution for photovoltaic power plants operating under hot, arid, dusty, and water-scarce climatic conditions.
References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Toshmamatov, B., Annayev, A. (Muallif)