A Ducted Photovoltaic Façade Unit with Buoyancy Cooling: Part I Experiment

Abstract

A ducted photovoltaic façade (DPV) unit was studied using experimental prototype and simulated in a full scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The study comes in two parts; this is Part I, as detailed in the title above, and Part II is titled “A Ducted Photovoltaic Façade Unit with Buoyancy Cooling: Part II CFD Simulation”. The process adopted in the experimental study is replicated in the simulation part. The aim was to optimize the duct width behind the solar cells to allow for a maximum buoyancy-driven cooling for the cells during operation. Duct widths from 5 to 50 cm were tested in a prototype. A duct width of 45 cm had the maximum calculated heat removed from the duct; however, the lowest cell-operating temperature was reported for duct width of 50 cm. It was found that ΔT between ducts’ inlets and outlets range from 5.47 °C to 12.32 °C for duct widths of 5–50 cm, respectively. The ducted system enhanced module efficiency by 12.69% by reducing photovoltaic (PV) temperature by 27 °C from 100 °C to 73 °C. The maximum measured heat recovered from the ducted PV system was 422 W. This is 48.98% from the incident radiation in the test. The total sum of heat recovered and power enhanced by the ducted system was 61.67%.

A Ducted Photovoltaic Façade Unit with Forced Convection Cooling

“…This paper continues the investigation of a ducted photovoltaic façade unit cooling by air in its previous parts; part I [12] cooling with buoyancy in a practical experiment. The target was optimization to 'duct depth' (i.e., mentioned as width in [12] due to 2-dimensional illustrations) behind the photovoltaic panel, thus providing maximum buoyancy-driven cooling for the photovoltaic panel whilst operating. Duct depths ranging between 5 and 50 cm were examined, forming a typical facade unit.…”

“…A forced convection scenario for the ducted PV unit examined and presented in [12] can be investigated by introducing a fan into the duct Figures 1-3. This would presumably accelerate air mass flow rate passing behind photovoltaic panel and, therefore increase the cooling potential for the PV panel.…”

“…Advantages Disadvantages Photovoltaic thermal PVT [12] -Robust but simple inexpensive solution for large capture of heat of PV by air.…”

“…Part II [15], a computational fluid dynamic CFD simulation of cooling by buoyancy for the experiment presented in [15], was undertaken by the first author. Optimization of duct depth was pursued (i.e., mentioned as width in [12] due to 2-dimensional illustrations in that publication) that allowed for maximum cooling due to buoyancy for the photovoltaic panel. Duct depths ranging between 5 and 50 cm are simulated.…”

A Ducted Photovoltaic Façade Unit with Buoyancy Cooling: Part II CFD Simulation

“…This paper investigates the potential of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in predicting as well as envisioning mechanisms of thermal energy extraction from BIPV to increase their overall efficiency yield. The experimental setup, as previously depicted in -A Ducted Photovoltaic Façade Unit with Buoyancy Cooling: Part I Experiment‖ [4], was used as a validating reference. Therefore, this CFD simulation replicated the same process of increasing the width of the duct behind the photovoltaic façade (PV) panel, as shown in Figure 1, while monitoring the outcome in terms of temperature harvesting and possible wind speed yields.…”