Evaluation of a solar membrane distillator hybridized with a photovoltaic cell

Abstract

Abstract Solar energy is one of the most promising natural and renewable energy resources. Hybridization is one of the most available concepts that serve as a solution for small-energy conversion of the renewable energy. A hybrid solar membrane distillator with a photovoltaic cell was devised to simultaneously utilize both solar photovoltaic energy and thermal energy. A PV/T system, which has combined a solar cell and a thermal unit for heating or cooling device is one of the hybrid systems. The effectivity of a hybrid solar membrane distillator was experimentally and numerically verified by the case studies of a solar cell, membrane solar distillator with and without a photovoltaic cell. The standard electrical conversion efficiency of a hybrid distillator had equivalent performance as a solar cell without a distillator due to an amorphous Si photovoltaic cell. The reduction of thermal efficiency by hybridization is settled within the 10% range in spite of a larger heat resistance of the hybrid distillator. The performance of a hybrid system of electricity and heat was estimated not by the concept of total system but by the energy-saving efficiency. The energy-saving efficiency of a hybrid distillator, 33%, is obtained beyond our expectations.