Energy Performance of an Encapsulated Phase Change Material PV/T System

Xiaojiao Yang, Jinzhi Zhou and Yanping Yuan
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Xiaojiao Yang: School of Mechanical Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610030, China
Jinzhi Zhou: School of Mechanical Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610030, China
Yanping Yuan: School of Mechanical Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610030, China

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the performance of a novel encapsulated phase change material (PCM) photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system. A PCM, which has a high latent heat capacity, can absorb energy from a PV cell and reduce the operating temperature, improving both the electrical and thermal efficiencies of the panel. In this study, a computer model based on a PCM PV/T panel is developed, and its accuracy is verified using experimental data. The effect of the phase change temperature on the performance of the panel was analyzed by numerical simulation. When the phase change temperature was 30.1 °C, the system exhibited a maximum electrical efficiency of 8.2% and a thermal efficiency of 71.8%. When the phase change temperature was 20.24 °C, the system had a maximum exergy efficiency of 33.7%. In general, the temperature of the PCM integrated into the PV/T system should not be too high.

Keywords: photovoltaic thermal system; phase change material; thermal and electrical efficiency; exergy efficiency (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 (4)

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