Experimental and Numerical Analyses of a Flat Plate Photovoltaic/Thermal Solar Collector

Abstract

This paper presents a one-dimensional finite-volume model of an unglazed photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) solar collector. The unit consists of a conventional solar photovoltaic (PV) collector coupled with a suitable heat exchanger. In particular, the collector includes a roll bond heat exchanger and it is not equipped with back and frame insulation. The system is discretized along the flow direction (longitudinal) of the cogenerative collector. For each finite-volume element of the discretized computational domain, mass and energy balances are implemented. The collector geometry and materials parameters are taken from a commercially available device. An on-field experimental investigation is performed in order to validate the proposed model. The model is used to evaluate both electrical and thermodynamic parameters for each element of the domain and for fixed operating conditions. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is also performed in order to investigate the energetic performance of the cogenerative collector as a function of the main design/environmental parameters.

A Study on the Thermal Performance of Air-Type BIPVT Collectors Applied to Demonstration Building

“…The target building had an air-type BIPVT collector installed on the southern side of the building, and had been expanded from a four-story building to a five-story building. The floor area of the enlarged building was 768.02 m 2 , mainly used as classrooms. An electric heat pump (EHP) and HRV were combined with the air conditioning system, and the operation schedule of the system was from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Figures 1 and 2).…”

Numerical and Experimental Study on a Solar Water Heating System in Lhasa

“…The test results showed that the north-facing room had an average temperature over 17 • C while the south-facing room was over 20 • C, which illustrated that a good heating effect was achieved. Although a relatively high system COP was shown with a good heating effect for the solar heating system under the simultaneous charging and discharging operation mode, further recommendations were proposed for the mass flow rates of the solar collecting cycles and control stagey of the fan coil unit (FCU).in Lhasa is promising, as it can contribute to the improvement in indoor thermal comfort, energy consumption reduction and more environmental friendliness [1][2][3].Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy sources since it suitably meets sustainable development objectives and it can be exploited worldwide [4][5][6][7][8][9]. Buker et al [10] reviewed the solar thermal applications in buildings, addressed the important issues related to architectural barriers, system design and installation and revealed the trend of solar thermal technologies required in the future.…”

“…Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy sources since it suitably meets sustainable development objectives and it can be exploited worldwide [4][5][6][7][8][9]. Buker et al [10] reviewed the solar thermal applications in buildings, addressed the important issues related to architectural barriers, system design and installation and revealed the trend of solar thermal technologies required in the future.…”

Temperature Estimation for Photovoltaic Array Using an Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System

“…Several cooling techniques have been implemented to reduce PV module operating temperature and the consequent efficiency losses [1,9,10]. Nevertheless, in most cases, their implementation…”

“…These characteristics have led many countries to pay attention on the design policies, strategies, and technology for its use [1][2][3][4]. In this context, photovoltaic (PV) systems are one of the most mature solar technologies, and it is constantly increasing its competitiveness and decreasing its production costs [5].…”