Performance Simulation of PVT System Using TRNSYS for Varying Mass Flow Rates

Abstract

Solar collector hybrids called photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors use solar energy to produce both electrical and thermal energy. System simulations are widely used as a first stage before testing in real-world applications to discover the best solutions and new applications for PVT collectors. Therefore, the construction of well-validated PVT collector models is a vital effort at this time. In this paper, the authors validated the experimental data with the simulation results obtained from TRNSYS software under similar conditions. The analysis was carried out with water as the working fluid, and at different mass flow rates for PVT collectors for varying operating conditions during the day. The authors compared outlet water temperature values from the PVT collector obtained through experiments and simulation. The minimum and maximum deviation of estimated outlet water temperature from the simulation is -3% to 8% respectively for different mass flow rates.