Numerical Investigation of Innovative Photovoltaic–Thermal (PVT) Collector Designs for Electrical and Thermal Enhancement

Ziqiang Wang, Gaoyang Hou, Hessam Taherian and Ying Song ()
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Ziqiang Wang: School of Water Conservancy and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
Gaoyang Hou: School of Mechano-Electronic Engineering, Xidian University, Xi’an 71007l, China
Hessam Taherian: School Science, Engineering and Technology, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, PA 17057, USA
Ying Song: School of Water Conservancy and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-27

Abstract: Photovoltaic–thermal (PVT) technology is gaining popularity due to the diminishing availability of traditional fossil fuels and escalating environmental concerns. Enhancing the heat dissipation of PVT to improve its electrical and thermal performance remains a significant task. This study simulates the thermodynamic and heat transfer characteristics in multiple novel PVT structures by examining the impact of various factors such as collector materials, radiation intensity, mass flow rate, and inlet temperature. This work also identifies the optimal mass flow rate for locations with different solar radiation. The numerical results indicate that the electrical efficiency of a designed cylindrical structure has increased by 1.73% while the thermal efficiency has increased by 8.29%. Aluminum is identified as the most cost-effective material for the collector. The optimal mass flow rates in selected locations of Xining, Taiyuan, and Turpan are 0.36 kg/s, 0.35 kg/s, and 0.30 kg/s, respectively. The numerical results provide valuable insight into optimizing the design and operating conditions of PVT systems.

Keywords: photovoltaic–thermal; backplane structure; parallel-plate configuration (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: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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