Performance assessment of photovoltaic/thermal module coupled PEM electrolyzer hydrogen production system based on nanofluids and composite phase change materials

Tao Du, Yunbo Xu, Hongsheng Ma, Yang Li, Zhenxuan Li and Changjian Wang

Applied Energy, 2026, vol. 402, issue PB, No S0306261925017209

Abstract: The effect of synergistic cooling by nanofluid (NF) and phase change material (PCM) on photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) hydrogen production performance requires further clarification. In this study, a hybrid nanofluid and a composite PCM based on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and boron nitride (BN) are synthesized. The synthesized materials are integrated with PV/T modules and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer hydrogen production systems for the first time. The effects of coupling configuration and coolant flow rate on the energy conversion efficiency are further evaluated experimentally. The results indicate that both the electrical and thermal efficiencies of the PV/T module are improved by increasing the coolant flow rate. However, excessive coolant flow rates lead to higher power consumption of the circulation pump. At 180 L/h, the maximum net efficiency of the PV/T-PCM-NF system is 70.2 %. The significant synergistic cooling effect on the PV/T modules is provided by the hybrid nanofluid and composite PCM. Compared with a conventional PV module, the PV/T-PCM-NF system achieves an 11.38 % increase in hydrogen production. Direct coupling between the PV/T-PCM-NF module and the PEM electrolyzer exhibits excellent power matching, performing comparably to the indirectly coupled system. In the indirect coupling configuration, the conversion losses and MPPT losses of the DC/DC controller are non-negligible, resulting in an average daily power loss of 5.99 %. Moreover, compared to the PV system and PV/T-PCM-water system, additional carbon credits of 236.4 USD and 23.2 USD are respectively generated in the PV/T-PCM-NF system.

Keywords: Photovoltaic/thermal; PEM electrolyzer; Green hydrogen; Hybrid nanofluid; Composite phase change material; Performance assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126990

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