Experimental Study on the Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of an Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collector

Sang-Myung Kim, Jin-Hee Kim and Jun-Tae Kim
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Sang-Myung Kim: Zero Energy Building Laboratory, Graduate School of Energy Systems Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Korea
Jin-Hee Kim: Green Energy Technology Research Center, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Korea
Jun-Tae Kim: Department of Architectural Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Korea

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 14, 1-14

Abstract: A photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system is a technology that combines photovoltaics (PV) and a solar thermal collector to produce thermal energy and generate electricity. PVT systems have the advantage that the energy output per unit area is higher than the single use of a PV module or solar thermal collector, since both heat and electricity can be produced and used simultaneously. Air-based PVT collectors use air as the heat transfer medium and flow patterns are important factors that affect the performance of the PVT collector. In this study, the thermal and electrical performance and characteristics of an air-based PVT collector were analyzed through experiments. The PVT collector, with bending round-shaped heat-absorbing plates, which increase the air flow path, has been developed to improve the thermal performance. The experiment was done under the test conditions of ISO 9806:2017 for the thermal performance analysis of an air-based PVT collector. The electrical performance was analyzed under the same conditions. In the results, it can be found that the inlet flow rate of the PVT collector considerably affects the thermal efficiency. It was analyzed that as the inlet flow rate increased from 60 to 200 m 3 /h, the thermal efficiency increased from 29% to 42%. Then, the electricity efficiency was also analyzed, where it was determined that it was improved according to operating condition of PVT collector.

Keywords: photovoltaic thermal (PVT), air-based PVT collector; thermal characteristic; electrical characteristic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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