Numerical analysis of the fluid flow and heat transfer of a hybrid PV-thermal collector and performance assessment

María Herrando, Guillermo Fantoni, Ana Cubero, Raquel Simón-Allué, Isabel Guedea and Norberto Fueyo

Renewable Energy, 2023, vol. 209, issue C, 122-132

Abstract: In recent years, new materials and absorber configurations have been proposed to improve the performance of hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) collectors. This work analyses the fluid flow and the energy performance of an uncovered water-based PV-T collector with a roll-bond thermal absorber. A detailed CFD model was developed and the results were compared with the experimental performance features provided by the PV-T manufacturer. The fluid flow results show uneven flow distribution among the roll-bond microchannels which leads to areas with larger PV cell temperatures and thus a lower electricity generation. The PV-T collector layers were also modelled using the energy transfer equations layer-by-layer. The model was run for several water inlet temperatures and water flow-rates to obtain the thermal performance curve. The results show that the electrical efficiency of the PV-T collector is 14.5–10.3% larger than for a PV-only system for water inlet temperatures of 20–30 °C, respectively. The developed CFD model reproduces accurately the thermal performance of the PV-T collector, with a maximum error of 6.5% for inlet water temperatures of 20–60 °C. Therefore, this model can be used with confidence to propose alternative designs that achieve a homogeneous temperature distribution in the PV layer and improve the overall PV-T collector performance.

Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling; Fluid flow; Hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) collector; Roll-bond thermal absorber; Energy performance modelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:209:y:2023:i:c:p:122-132

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2023.03.125

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