MATHEMATICAL MODELLING, SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC THERMAL SYSTEM

Abstract

Solar energy is one of the cleanest, environmentally friendly and abandoned available energy sources. While the photovoltaic (PV) module converts this free and available energy in the form of electrical energy, the efficiency of the PV module reduces as the temperature of the PV module rises above nominal value. The Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) system removes the wasted thermal energy from the surface of the PV which is caused by the reflection of the sun's irradiance and stores it for the useful application, hence, maintain the electrical efficiency of the PV module. This paper analyses the heat response data collected from a PVT system, under normal conditions, with steady water acting as a coolant. Experimental and simulation values were compared and analyzed in this paper. The thermal response of the PVT system depends solely on the irradiation of sunlight. Therefore, the thermal energy output of the PVT system varies according to the solar irradiation. In this experiment, the PVT thermal response was measured via Thermocouple sensors mounted in each layer of the PVT system, which included solar panel, aluminum thermal plate, and heatsinks. A charge controller was connected to the output of the PV to regulate the charging process for a battery so that the electrical output can also be affected by the thermal response of the solar panel. The amount of solar irradiation was calculated based on the reading from the Pyranometer and the surface area of the PV. The setting of the Pyranometer and the thermocouples to measure the PV thermal value and the ambient temperature was set to ten seconds each, which was read using a data logger. The entire experiment is conducted in a constant condition such as constant ambient temperature and pressure to obtain fair data. Understanding the thermal transfer between each layer of the PVT system will help to increase the efficiency of the electrical and thermal output, from the study it was known that faster heat transfer maintains a steady temperature, this paper helps to design a PVT system with a better efficiency under a non-optimal condition.