Effect of installing porous metal insertion inside the collector tube of a photovoltaic thermal system integrated with PCM-copper foam composite

Shuaibing Chang, Haiting Liu and G. Li

Energy, 2025, vol. 314, issue C

Abstract: In comparison with traditional photovoltaic systems, photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems exhibit higher electrical efficiency while offering the versatility of harnessing solar thermal energy for various applications. This work presents a numerical method investigating the thermal, hydraulic, and electrical performances of a PVT system incorporating a porous collector and PCM-copper foam composite. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in thermal efficiency, with a 37.33 % increment observed when the receiver tube is embedded with PCM-copper foam. Despite an increase in pressure drop due to copper foam insertion, the electrical efficiency of the system also increases by 0.2 %. Furthermore, the utilization of copper foam in a PVT system integrated with PCM enhances thermal efficiency up to 33.6 %. Simulations reveal that a coolant mass flow rate of 40 kg h−1 yields higher thermal efficiency compared to rates of 20 and 30 kg h−1, with slight decrement in the electrical efficiency. Additionally, the paper discusses the performance of the proposed porous PCM-based PVT systems under different seasonal conditions, including temperature variations and solar irradiation levels.

Keywords: Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors; Porous materials; Simulation; Phase change material (PCM); Thermal performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:314:y:2025:i:c:s0360544224039811

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.134203

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