Optimization on the structure and filling ratio of a flexible separate heat pipe applied for tracking-type photovoltaic/thermal systems

Ling Zheng, Jingyu Cao, Jinqing Peng, Zaikang Lu, Xiaoqiang Hong, Erdem Cuce, Wenjie Liu, Gang Pei and Jie Ji

Renewable Energy, 2025, vol. 239, issue C

Abstract: The utilization of photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems with separate heat pipes holds significant potential to improve solar energy efficiency by addressing issues like winter freezing and scaling. However, challenges such as frame shading due to increased insulation needs could hinder overall efficiency. In the previous study, a novel flexible separate heat pipe (FSHP) employed in the tracking-type PV/T system was introduced, effectively avoiding the effects of frame shading. This research aims to further optimize the structure of the flexible separate heat pipe through experiments, exploring the impact of factors such as the diameter and material of the adiabatic pipes, evaporator-condenser height difference, and filling ratio on the thermal performance. Furthermore, the study will delve into the system's thermal performance at dissimilar solar irradiance and side-altitude inclination angles. The experimental results demonstrate that the enhanced structure significantly boosts thermal efficiency, stabilizing it between 69.37 % and 79.71 %. This study offers a fresh perspective for enhancing the performance of the FSHPs and explores their potential for broader solar energy use.

Keywords: Solar energy; Separate heat pipe; Thermal performance; Filling ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124021141
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:239:y:2025:i:c:s0960148124021141

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.122046

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable Energy is currently edited by Soteris A. Kalogirou and Paul Christodoulides

More articles in Renewable Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().