Simulation-based analysis of ferrofluid cooling and magnetohydrodynamic effects in a photovoltaic–thermoelectric hybrid system

• Innovative five-lobed duct design improves PV cooling efficiency. • Combined Lorentz forces and porous media further optimize PV cooling. • Magnetohydrodynamics enhances silicon layer uniformity by 15.8%. • Porous medium reduces PV temperature significantly, boosting overall performance. This study investigates two advanced approaches to boost the cooling performance of photovoltaic (PV) system. The first involves integrating a five-lobed cooling duct beneath the PV surface, while the second employs the combined influence of porous media and Lorentz forces to enhance thermal regulation. A series of numerical analyses was conducted to assess the thermal behavior and overall performance of the combined PV–thermoelectric (PV–TE) system. Simulation results reveal that the application of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects enhances temperature uniformity across the silicon layer by approximately 15.8%. As Ha (Hartmann number) increases, the thermal efficiency (η th ), thermoelectric efficiency (η TE ), and photovoltaic efficiency (η PV ) improve by 5.58%, 14.98%, and 0.51%, respectively, at an input voltage (V i ) of 0.018. When V i rises to 0.103, η PV further increases by 8.78% under intensified magnetic fields. Additionally, increasing the nanoparticle volume fraction (ϕ) within the coolant enhances heat transfer, yielding a 6.69% rise in η PV and a 22.85% improvement in η th , though these gains diminish at higher V i values. The incorporation of porous media substantially reduces the PV module temperature (T PV ), achieving reductions up to 38 times greater at Ha = 0 compared to Ha = 95. Similarly, the improvement in η PV due to porous structures is 31.46 times more significant at Ha = 0 than at Ha = 95. Under these conditions, the porous layer also contributes to a 5.88% increase in overall thermal efficiency.