Thermodynamic Optimization of Electrical and Thermal Energy Production of PV Panels and Potential for Valorization of the PV Low-Grade Thermal Energy into Cold

Anis Idir, Maxime Perier-Muzet, David Aymé-Perrot and Driss Stitou
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Anis Idir: PROMES Laboratory (PROcess, Material and Solar Energy), CNRS-UPR8521, Rambla de la Thermodynamique, Tecnosud, 66100 Perpignan, France
Maxime Perier-Muzet: PROMES Laboratory (PROcess, Material and Solar Energy), CNRS-UPR8521, Rambla de la Thermodynamique, Tecnosud, 66100 Perpignan, France
David Aymé-Perrot: TotalEnergies SE, 2 Place Jean Millier–, 92078 Courbevoie, France
Driss Stitou: PROMES Laboratory (PROcess, Material and Solar Energy), CNRS-UPR8521, Rambla de la Thermodynamique, Tecnosud, 66100 Perpignan, France

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-20

Abstract: In the present study, the evaluation of potential improvement of the overall efficiency of a common PV panel, valorizing the heat extracted by a heat exchanger that is integrated on its back side, either into work using an endoreversible Carnot engine or into cold by using an endoreversible tri-thermal machine consisting of a heat-driven refrigeration machine operating between three temperature sources and sink (such as a liquid/gas absorption machine), was carried out. A simplified thermodynamic analysis of the PV/thermal collector shows that there are two optimal operating temperatures T ˜ h and T h * of the panels, which maximize either the thermal exergy or the overall exergy of the PV panel, respectively. The cold produced by the endoreversible tri-thermal machine during the operating conditions of the PV/thermal collector at T ˜ h is higher with a coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.24 thanks to the higher heat recovery potential. In the case of using the cold produced by a tri-thermal machine to actively cool of an additional PV panel in order to increase its electrical performances, the operating conditions at the optimal temperature T h * provide a larger and more stable gain: the gain is about 12.2% compared with the conventional PV panel when the operating temperature of the second cooled panel varies from 15 to 35 °C.

Keywords: power and cold cogeneration; energy performance; exergy analysis; solar energy (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: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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