A faculty member from the College of Engineering and Information Technology, Professor Dr. Ali Jaafar Al-Husseini, participated as a member of the PhD dissertation examination committee at the College of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Technology. The dissertation, submitted by researcher Manal Nasser Jabr, was entitled “Development and Performance Evaluation of a Photovoltaic Thermal Generator Integrated with a Biogas Reactor and an Intelligent Monitoring System.”

The dissertation focused on the development of a hybrid renewable energy system integrating a Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) system with photovoltaic (PV) cells, incorporating passive cooling techniques and forced-flow enhancement while utilizing biogas as a renewable thermal energy source. The system was also equipped with an intelligent monitoring system to improve the thermal and electrical efficiency of photovoltaic cells and optimize their performance under hot climatic conditions.

The study employed numerical simulations using ANSYS Fluent alongside experimental investigations. The findings demonstrated a significant improvement in system performance. The proposed cooling system reduced the photovoltaic cell temperature by up to 6°C and increased electrical efficiency by 16.5%. Furthermore, integrating the solar vortex engine with the photovoltaic cell lowered the cell temperature by up to 8°C, enhanced electrical efficiency by 16.77%, and increased the maximum power output by 18.1%.

This participation reflects the distinguished scientific and academic presence of the College of Engineering and Information Technology’s faculty members and highlights the University’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with Iraqi academic institutions. It also contributes to promoting scientific communication, exchanging expertise in engineering, renewable energy, and technological innovation, and reinforcing the University’s presence in specialized academic and research forums.