Optimisation of planer's tilts angles reflectors for solar hybrid photovoltaic thermal air collector

Abstract

Using concentrators to the output of hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) solar collectors has been proven cost effective. Flat reflectors offer a simpler, reliable and cheap solution to increase the amount of solar radiations that fall on the solar collector. They provide a uniform concentration of solar radiation over the PV/T collector and prevent a hot-spot phenomenon. In this study, an optimisation of planer's tilts angles reflectors for solar hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) air collector by implementing the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) method is done. The PV/T air solar collector is south oriented with tilted at site latitude angle. Then the total incident solar radiation on the PV/T air collector surface is estimated. An experimental test was conducted in the southern region of Algeria on a prototype of the hybrid PV/T air collector, with two reflectors mounted on the lower and upper parts of the PV/T air collector. A 9%-19% increase in quantity of solar radiation incidents on the PV/T air collector was observed with the addition of planer reflectors. The adding reflectors and cooling system causes a 7%-30% increase in the current and voltage of the PV module.