Cell Operating Temperature Research Articles

A multi-criteria data-driven study/optimization of an innovative eco-friendly fuel cell-heat recovery process, generating electricity, cooling and liquefied hydrogen

The current paper aims to develop a multi-heat integration structure for a solid oxide fuel cell, focusing on methods that reduce thermodynamic irreversibility and address environmental concerns. Hence, the suggested method comprises a bi-evaporator refrigeration-organic flash cycle, a water electrolyzer cycle, a reverse osmosis cycle, and a Claude cycle producing electricity, cooling load, and liquefied hydrogen simultaneously. Furthermore, intelligent data-driven study/optimization focusing on thermodynamic, environmental, and economic aspects are performed to highlight potential areas for enhancement. Hence, two different multi-objective scenarios using a detailed sensitivity analysis are defined. Accordingly, artificial neural networks are developed for learning and verifying objectives related to energetic and exergetic performances, the cost of liquefied hydrogen, and the reduction of CO2 emissions. Subsequently, a multi-objective grey wolf optimization is used in energy-cost-environmental and exergy-cost-environmental scenarios. The results reveal a significant sensitivity index of 0.619 for fuel cell operating temperature. Notably, the first scenario provides the most appropriate optimization way, showing an energy efficiency of 62.91%, a liquefied hydrogen cost of 3.177 $/kg, and a CO2 emission reduction of 101.9 kg/MWh. Also, an exergy efficiency of 45.42% and a payback time of 2.45 years are the other notable findings.

States and Distributions of Water inside a Membrane of a PEMFC Above 100°C at Constant Water Vapour Pressure Studied Using Raman Spectroscopy

IntroductionHigh-temperature applications of PEMFCs under low humidity conditions have the potential to decrease the cost of heavy-duty vehicles, like trucks and buses. Water plays a crucial role in PEMFCs as it assists in the transportation of protons from the anode to the cathode for the redox reaction. To better understand the behaviour of water states and their distribution inside the membrane, a study was conducted using Raman Spectroscopy. This study was done to observe the different states of water in the Nafion 211 (25 µm) membrane at a constant water vapour of 36.85 kPa at cell operating temperatures ranging from 80 to 110°C.ExperimentA single-cell fuel cell setup was constructed for this study, as illustrated in Figure 1. A commercial Nafion 211 (25 µm) was placed between two (2 cm x 2 cm) 22BB gas diffusion layers (GDLs). One of the GDLs had a centred 0.5 mm diameter hole, while the other had a thin film sheet of platinum with the same diameter. Both the anode and cathode were supplied with humidified nitrogen gas in a crossflow manner at a dew point temperature of 74.65°C, equivalent to a water vapour pressure of 36.85 kPa. The experiment was conducted at a range of temperatures (80, 90, 95, 105, and 110°C) and corresponding relative humidities of (80.0, 54.7, 44.4 30.9, and 26.0%) respectively with Raman Spectroscopy (LabRAM HR 800) measurements taken at a depth of 15 µm, or at the centre of the membrane using the laser wavelength of 633 nm[1]. Before each measurement, the membrane stability was ensured for 3 hours. The exposure time for measurement was 90 s.Results and DiscussionThe spectrum was first baseline corrected and smoothened using the LapSpec software. It was then normalized to show the different intensities of the O-H stretching band of water between the Raman shift of 3000 to 3800 cm-1 as shown in Figure 2. Using the Gaussian function, the O-H stretching band of water present in the Nafion 211 membrane was deconvoluted with Igor Pro 8 software.Five major peaks were identified, including two species of protonated water - Eigen (H3O+) and Zundel (H5O2 +) - at 3080 and 3345 cm-1 respectively. Another peak was found at 3326 cm-1, which indicates H bonding to the sulfonic acid group (SO3H). Additionally, there was a peak at 3471 cm-1, indicating H-bonded water (H2O --- H2O) in bulk water, and a peak at 3663 cm-1, which indicates non-H-bonded water [2], [3]. The relative area, AOH/ACF, of the O-H stretching band of water was determined and plotted against the cell temperatures. Using the gravimetric water uptake obtained from Nafion 211, the number of water molecules per sulfonic acid group (λ) was determined, and each water component λi is expressed by λi = λTotal × fi Upon analysing the data, it was observed that the number of water molecules per sulfonic acid group (λi) of protonated water, hydrogen bonded to the sulfonic acid group (SO3H), and that of non-hydrogen bonded water remained relatively consistent through the temperature changes. However, the number of water molecules hydrogen bonded to one another, forming H2O---H2O bonds, decreased from λ = 5 at 80°C to λ = 1.6 at 110°C illustrated in Figure 3. In conclusion, we succeeded in determining the states of water existing in Nafion membranes at temperatures higher than 100°C.

Cell Temperature Determination based on IEC61215: Solar Photovoltaic Experimental Study of Tropical Malaysia

Most commercial photovoltaic (PV) module data sheets include Nominal Operating Cell Temperature (NOCT) values, which assist PV system designers in estimating module temperatures under real outdoor conditions. However, the typical NOCT values of 45°C to 47°C do not account for tropical climates. This study seeks to develop an adjusted NOCT mathematical model and determine revised NOCT values suited for tropical conditions. The new proposed NOCT model follows the international standard IEC61215 but incorporates updated tropical Standard Reference Environment (SRE) parameters: solar irradiance (SI) of 800 W/m², ambient temperature (AT) of 31°C, and wind speed (WS) of 1 m/s. This modified NOCT model demonstrates improved accuracy over the existing model, with an average reduction of 2% in percentage error, root mean square error, and mean average percentage error. Outdoor NOCT testing conducted in Shah Alam, Malaysia, uncovered much higher NOCT values for various PV modules technology: 55°C for monocrystalline, 57°C for polycrystalline, and 59°C for thin film. These results emphasize the inadequacy of current NOCT values in commercial PV module data sheets, which do not accurately reflect conditions in tropical climates. The revised NOCT values from this study offer crucial thermal reference data for PV system designers, integrators, and researchers working in tropical regions, particularly Malaysia.

Performance prediction and enhancement strategy of a new proton exchange membrane fuel cell-hydrophilic modified tubular still hybrid system

The abundant low-grade waste heat generation in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) not only leads to energy wasting but also degrades the cell durability. Herein, an innovative hybrid system model that integrates PEMFC with a hydrophilic modified tubular still (HMTS) is developed, aiming to remove and harness the waste heat for extra freshwater production. Based on thermodynamic and electrochemical theories and considering major irreversible losses within the system, the model is formulated to obtain the performance metrics. Computational results demonstrate that the hybrid system outperforms the independent PEMFC, exhibiting a 13.26 % increase in maximum output power density, as well as significant improvements in energy efficiency (6.49 %) and exergy efficiency (23.36 %). Exhaustive parametric studies show that raising the fuel cell's operation temperature and operation pressure and the wind velocity, or reducing the thermodynamic losses positively enhances the overall output performance. Nevertheless, enlarging the proton exchange membrane thickness, tube shell diameter, or length of the tube shell worsens the output performance. Local sensitivity analyses identify that the thickness of proton exchange membrane is the most sensitive factor affecting the output performance. These results are helpful for optimally designing and running a high-efficient system.

Zr and Y co-doped SrFe0.8Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ perovskite oxide as a stable, high-performance symmetrical electrode for solid oxide cells

Symmetrical solid oxide cells (SSOCs), which use the same material for both anode and cathode, simplify the cell fabrication process and effectively resist carbon deposition and sulfur poisoning. In this study, Zr, Y co-doped SrFe0.8Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ (SFZY) perovskite oxide is synthesized and evaluated its properties as an SSOFCs electrode. Density functional theory (DFT) indicates that the local state density of SFZY is lower than that of SrFeO3-δ (SFO). SFZY has good chemical compatibility with La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.83Mg0.17O3−δ (LSGM) electrolyte below cell operating temperature. Zr, Y co-doped SrFe0.8Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ maintains structural stability in H2 atmosphere. At 750 ℃, the polarization resistance (Rp) of SFZY is 0.11 and 1.06 Ω cm2 in air and hydrogen atmosphere, respectively. During the Rp stability test, SFZY exhibits better stability than that of SrFeO3-δ in air and hydrogen atmosphere. At 750 ℃, the maximum power density of SFZY/LSGM/SFZY fuel cell reaches 420.1 and 258.31 mWcm−2 using H2 and wet C3H8 as fuel, respectively. In electrolytic mode, the current density of SFZY/LSGM/SFZY electrolysis cell reaches -0.55 A cm−2 at 1.3 V for electrolysis of pure CO2 at 750 ℃. In summary, SFZY has a great potential as SSOCs electrode.

Role of Sintering Aids in Electrical and Material Properties of Yttrium- and Cerium-Doped Barium Zirconate Electrolytes

Ceramic proton conductors have the potential to lower the operating temperature of solid oxide cells (SOCs) to the intermediate temperature range of 400–600 °C. This is attributed to their superior ionic conductivity compared to oxide ion conductors under these conditions. However, prominent proton-conducting materials, such as yttrium-doped barium cerates and zirconates with specified compositions like BaCe1−xYxO3−δ (BCY), BaZr1−xYxO3−δ (BZY), and Ba(Ce,Zr)1−yYyO3−δ (BCZY), face significant challenges in achieving dense electrolyte membranes. It is suggested that the incorporation of transition and alkali metal oxides as sintering additives can induce liquid phase sintering (LPS), offering an efficient method to facilitate the densification of these proton-conducting ceramics. However, current research underscores that incorporating these sintering additives may lead to adverse secondary effects on the ionic transport properties of these materials since the concentration and mobility of protonic defects in a perovskite are highly sensitive to symmetry change. Such a drop in ionic conductivity, specifically proton transference, can adversely affect the overall performance of cells. The extent of variation in the proton conductivity of the perovskite BCZY depends on the type and concentration of the sintering aid, the nature of the sintering aid precursors used, the incorporation technique, and the sintering profile. This review provides a synopsis of various potential sintering techniques, explores the influence of diverse sintering additives, and evaluates their effects on the densification, ionic transport, and electrochemical properties of BCZY. We also report the performance of most of these combinations in an actual test environment (fuel cell or electrolysis mode) and comparison with BCZY.

Modeling and Performance Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Power Generation System for Hypersonic Vehicles

Advanced airborne power generation technology represents one of the most effective solutions for meeting the electricity requirements of hypersonic vehicles during long-endurance flights. This paper proposes a power generation system that integrates a high-temperature fuel cell to tackle the challenges associated with power generation in the hypersonic field, utilizing techniques such as inlet pressurization, autothermal reforming, and anode recirculation. Firstly, the power generation system is modeled modularly. Secondly, the influence of key parameters on the system’s performance is analyzed. Thirdly, the performance of the power generation system under the design conditions is simulated and evaluated. Finally, the weight distribution and exergy loss of the system’s components under the design conditions are calculated. The results indicate that the system’s electrical efficiency increases with fuel utilization, decreases with rising current density and steam-to-carbon ratio (SCR), and initially increases before declining with increasing fuel cell operating temperature. Under the design conditions, the system’s power output is 48.08 kW, with an electrical efficiency of 51.77%. The total weight of the power generation system is 77.09 kg, with the fuel cell comprising 69.60% of this weight, resulting in a power density of 0.62 kW/kg. The exergy efficiency of the system is 55.86%, with the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) exhibiting the highest exergy loss, while the mixer demonstrates the greatest exergy efficiency. This study supports the application of high-temperature fuel cells in the hypersonic field.

Multi-objective optimization of lithium-ion battery designs considering the dilemma between energy density and rate capability

Electrified transportation requires batteries with high energy density and high-rate capability for both charging and discharging. Li-ion batteries (LiBs) face a dilemma: increasing areal capacity and reducing electrode porosity to boost energy density often reduces rate capability due to a longer and more tortuous ion transfer path. Tailoring cell design parameters to balance these metrics is essential but challenging. Here, we present a multi-objective optimization framework targeting energy density, fast charging, high-rate discharging, and lifespan simultaneously. Four cell parameters—cathode areal capacity, N-P ratio, cathode porosity, and anode porosity—along with operating temperature, are selected as design variables. A physics-based pseudo-2D model, validated against experimental data, generates data to train the surrogate model, which is combined with the NSGA-II algorithm for rapid optimization. Three different objective calculation methods are compared to identify the maximum sum of energy densities, lowest polarization, and most balanced performance, respectively. Cell design parameters are optimized at different temperatures using the most balanced optimization method. Results demonstrate that elevating cell operating temperature achieves high-rate capability while maintaining high energy density, mitigating the energy-power trade-off and broadening battery design parameter ranges.

Thermal integration process for waste heat recovery of SOFC to produce cooling/H2/power/freshwater; cost/thermal/environmental optimization scenarios

High-temperature fuel cells (HT-FCs) indeed hold significant promise for enhancing energy systems' efficiency and environmental sustainability. Consequently, there is growing interest in exploring and developing innovative strategies to optimize the integration of heat recovery processes with HT-FC technology. The current research presents an innovative and environmentally friendly poly-generation unit that integrates advanced subprocesses to generate essential products. These final products include electricity, refrigeration, pure water, and hydrogen. This study signifies a significant step towards sustainable and efficient energy production while meeting diverse needs for different utilities. The design unit incorporates a novel modified dual ejector-based organic flash cycle, reverse osmosis water purification, and a water electrolyzer for hydrogen extraction, all integrated with a high-temperature solid oxide fuel cell. Energy, exergy, economic, and environmental (4E) analysis is conducted to thoroughly evaluate the proposed plan. Furthermore, a comprehensive parametric analysis and sensitivity study are performed to pinpoint the key design parameters of the poly-generation unit. To attain the optimal operational status of the poly-generation unit, a three-objective NSGA-II optimization technique is employed to fine-tune the system's performance within the exergy-cost-environmental framework. This approach aims to strike a balance between maximizing efficiency, minimizing costs, and reducing environmental impact for sustainable operations. In addition, a net present value analysis spanning a 20-year timeframe was conducted to assess the profitability of the devised unit. Based on the findings, it is evident that the sensitivity index of the fuel cell operating temperature carries substantial importance, registering a notable value of 0.60. Additionally, the optimization outcomes reveal the system's enhanced performance metrics: an exergetic efficiency of 41.11 %, a unit cost of 58.96 $/GJ, and a carbon dioxide emission reduction rate of 418 kg/MWh. Also, the unit's payback period is shortened from 11.33 years to 8.817 years. Moreover, it improved the unit's sustainability index and net present value, raising them from 1.544 to 4.98 M$ to 1.66 and 7.38 M$.

Thermal Management of Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Using Equivalent Circuit Model

The design of an efficient thermal management system for a lithium-ion battery pack hinges on a deep understanding of the cells’ thermal behavior. This understanding can be gained through theoretical or experimental methods. While the theoretical study of the cells using electrochemical and numerical methods requires expensive computing facilities and time, the Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM) offers a more direct approach. However, upfront experimental cell characterization is needed to determine the ECM parameters. In this study, the behavior of a cell is characterized experimentally, and the results are used to build a second-order equivalent electrical circuit model of the cell. This model is then integrated with the cooling system of the battery pack for effective thermal management. The Equivalent Circuit Model estimates the internal heat generation inside the cell using instantaneous load current, terminal voltage, and temperature data. By extrapolating the heat generation data of a single cell, we can determine the heat generation of the cells in the pack. With the implementation of the ECM in the cooling system, the coolant flow rate can be adjusted to ensure the attainment of a safe operating cell temperature. Our study confirms that 14% of pumping power can be reduced when compared to the conventional constant flow rate cooling system, while still maintaining the temperature of the cells within safe limits.

The effect of gadolinium-doped ceria interlayer on the oxygen reduction reaction in a LSCF cathode-ScSZ electrolyte supported IT-SOFCs

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are rapidly emerging as a technology, offering the potential for carbon neutral or carbon negative generation of electricity and heat (combined heat and power) using synthetic carbohydrate fuels and hydrogen. A significant challenge associated with SOFCs is the high polarization resistance experienced at the cathode during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which diminishes the cell efficiency. The kinetics of the ORR are influenced by factors such as the cathode material type, its microstructure, and the quality of the interface between the cathode and electrolyte. In our research, we have addressed this issue by modifying the interface between the state-of-the-art cathode material, Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite—La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF), and the Scandia stabilized Zirconia (ScSZ) electrolyte. This modification involved the deposition of a micron-sized film of ion-conducting gadolinium-doped ceria (Gd0.1Ce0.9O2-δ) – (GDC) as an interface layer. Our analysis involved systematic studies, including variations in cell operating temperatures and applied potentials, as well as measurements of cell performance over an extended period. We observed a significant enhancement in cell performance with the introduction of the GDC interfacial layer between the LSCF cathode and ScSZ electrolyte. Specifically, we recorded a cathode polarization resistance as low as 0.40 Ωcm2 for the modified interface, which is substantially lower compared to bare LSCF cathodes (3.04 Ωcm2) at 600 °C. This reduction in cathode resistance can primarily be attributed to the improved conditions for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), resulting from enhanced interfacial contact between the electrode and the electrolyte and mitigation of any zirconium interdiffusion as seen from detailed scanning electron microscopic studies.

Numerical design of non-toxic high-efficiency tandem solar cell with distinct hole transport materials

The metal-halide perovskite is at the forefront of photovoltaic research and has the potential to combine low manufacturing costs with excellent power conversion efficiency. In this study, a solar cell capacitance simulator was used to analyze the performance of a tandem solar cell in which MASnI3 was used as the lower cell active layer, and NaZn0.7Cu0.3Br3 was used as the upper cell active layer. The primary objective of this research is to search for a device structure with enhanced efficiency. Here, it is evaluated how absorber thickness, temperature, hole transport layer, defect density, and metal work function affect solar cell performance to reach this aim. After looking at the data for several different solar cell configurations, it is seen that indium tin oxide (ITO) / titanium dioxide (TiO2)/sodium zinc copper bromide (NaZn0.7Cu0.3Br3)/ methylammonium tin iodide (MASnI3) / copper oxide (CuO)/gold (Au) offers the best efficiency at 32.58 %, fill factor at 82.19 %, short circuit current density at 34.8389 mA/cm2, and open circuit voltage at 1.1375 Vs. Device simulations showed an optimal MASnI3 absorber thickness of about 1 µm. Finally, the simulation results reveal that the device's efficiency declines when the absorber's defect density and cell operation temperature rise. The device topologies are stable at around 300 Kelvin. Last but not least, any conductive material can be used as an anode if it has a work function that is more than or roughly equivalent to 5.10 eV.

Study on expansion characteristics of Al–Al2O3 composite seals for intermediate‐temperature solid oxide fuel cell

AbstractAl2O3‐based composite seal with 10 wt% Al powder addition (A10) possesses excellent plastic and mechanical performance under wide temperature range of solid oxide fuel cell. The thickening phenomenon of A10 seal between 250°C–400°C and 600°C–750°C is caused by the thermal expansion of organic additives and the volume expansion when solid–liquid Al react with oxygen to form Al2O3. The thickness change rate reaches the maximum which is about 5% at 300°C and is about 4.46% at 650°C. The Gibbs free energy for reaction between Al and Al2O3 in the temperature range of 523–1 023 K is all less than 0, which is proved by the fact that A10 exhibits excellent self‐expansion and thermodynamic properties in the solid oxide fuel cell operating temperature.

Investigation of a solid oxide fuel cell integrated into an internal combustion engine with carbon capture for maritime applications

The significance of limiting greenhouse gas emissions has grown in the maritime sector and regulations in this regard have become increasingly stringent. This leads to the need for new and more environmentally friendly power sources, and technologies to be used in ships. Fuel cells and carbon capture systems can enable ships to both meet the International Maritime Organization’s emissions regulations and contribute to a sustainable environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, the solid oxide fuel cell is electrochemically, and thermodynamically modeled and integrated into the internal combustion engine for maritime applications. Reformed natural gas is used as fuel, so the steam reforming and the carbon capture and storage systems are also integrated into the solid oxide fuel cell and internal combustion engine power system. Integrated systems are simulated and energy, exergy, economy, and environmental analyses are carried out. The effects of solid oxide fuel cell operating temperature, current density, operating time due to degradation, and the use of hydrogen instead of natural gas on analyses results are investigated. The findings obtained in this study showed that the proposed integration could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 76.1 per cent, while the hydrogen-fuelled alternative system could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 96.9 per cent at an operating lifetime of 35,000 h for the solid oxide fuel cell. Given the fuel cell degradation, the average overall energy efficiencies of the systems were 44.1 per cent and 57.5 per cent, respectively, while the cost of the proposed system was 41.1 per cent lower than the hydrogen-fuelled alternative. Hydrogen-fueled alternative system was closer to the net zero target in emission and had higher efficiencies, the proposed system might be a more effective solution in the transition to the net zero target because of its lower volume and mass requirements and lower costs.

Optimal Evaluation of Photovoltaic Cells Parameters Using Euclidean Distance Calculations

The relationship between current and voltage describes the features and characteristics of the photovoltaic (PV) cells. This relationship mainly depends on the equivalent circuit parameters of the PV cell model. Accurate estimation of these parameters is crucial for analyzing the performance of PV systems. This paper proposes a simple and efficient method to estimate the equivalent circuit parameters of the PV cells/modules. The main concept of the proposed method is to optimize the PV series resistance value using Euclidean distance calculations in such a way to get the corresponding best maximum power conditions. Various assessments have been employed in this paper to confirm the validity of the presented approach. Those include analyzing different commercial PV modules, experimental data, irradiance and temperature variations, and comparison with other reported algorithms. When compared with experimental data at standard test conditions, the mean absolute current and power differences are 0.0329 A and 0.6339 W, respectively. Furthermore, the mean absolute differences at normal operating cell temperature are 0.0120 A and 0.1412 W. The results have shown that the proposed method has confirmed its effectiveness in predicting the PV cell equivalent circuit characteristics for any PV cells/modules using only data available from the manufacturer’s datasheet.

Performance Enhancement of PV Module with Cooling Effect using Wet Wicks

Solar energy is one of the most potential sources of power production among all the renewable energies which is eco-friendly and can be much cheaper too. The energy conversion efficiency of the PV module decreases even more due to an increase in operating cell temperature over a certain limit. One way of improving the efficiency of the system is to maintain a low operating temperature by cooling it down during its operational period. This study compares the effects of cooling on the performance of photovoltaic systems. Experiments are performed on the solar panel inclined at a fixed 23.45° angle with the horizontal to the south without active cooling initially to have a set of reference performance parameters for comparison. The polycrystalline PV Module was tested with different cooling methods including Normal water Spray over the front surface, wet jute, and wet woolen material over the back surface of the panel. The cooling of the panels combined with the soiling effect enhances solar efficiency. The wet woolen material results in the most significant efficiency improvement, followed closely by wet jute and normal water spray.

Study of the effect of factors on the wind-hydrogen system energy conversion

The combination of hydrogen and wind power can effectively reduce the waste of wind resources. This study explores a novel method to study the effect of operating conditions on equipment performance and system's the electric-hydrogen-electric conversion efficiency. The effect of the electrolyzer hydrogen production and fuel cell power generation under different operating conditions are studied. Orthogonal tests and Response surface methods are used to explore the influence of various factors on the electric-hydrogen-electric conversion efficiency. The results show that raising the electrolyzer's operating temperature, the system hydrogen production efficiency increases by 1.8 %. Raising the fuel cell's operating temperature, the fuel cell exergy efficiency increases by 2.2 %. The system electric-hydrogen-electric efficiency increased by 1.4 %. Raised gas pressure improves the reactant concentration. The system's electric-hydrogen-electric efficiency increased by 1.78 %. The influence degree of various factors on the system: fuel cell operating pressure > fuel cell operating temperature > electrolyzer operating temperature. This study provides references for improving the equipment working performance and designing high-performance electrolyzers and fuel cells.

Long-term performance and degradation analysis of a 5 MW solar PV plant in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Renewable energy is being advocated as a new strategy in response to rising energy demand and global climate change. Solar photovoltaic technology is of great significance to climatic conditions due to the good solar intensity and availability to generate energy. In this paper, the 10-year operating performance of a 5 MW solar PV plant installed in tropical climate of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was analysed. In 2015, the PV plant achieved its highest electricity production of 7216 MWh, while its lowest, 4757 MWh, was observed in 2022.The maximum performance ratio was recorded as 84.28 % in 2016 due to lower operating cell temperature whereas the maximum CUF as 16.17 % was recorded in 2015. The highest module, inverter and system efficiency for the ten year was observed 12.03 %, 97.64 % and 11.75 % respectively in year 2016. In 2014, the highest values for reference yield, array yield, and final yield were recorded as 4.92, 4.08, and 3.98 kWh/kW/day, respectively. Higher capture losses were observed in the plant over the year which varies upto 1.65 h/d. The plant exhibited a degradation rate of 1.99 % per annum, determined by employing an initial PR of 80.03 %, which declined to 64.11 % by 2022. Degradation analysis of the present system was also performed using visual inspection technique. Mostly found defects in plant was corrosion, delamination of encapsulant material, browning of cell material, burn mark on the back of module, milky patterns, cracks in top facing glass and solar cells. Since, the plant is located in the coastal area, it was seen that the plant is facing a severe issue of algae growth. Some PV modules were covered by more than 90 % algae which significantly contribute in capture losses.

Experimental Assessment of PV Panels Front Water Cooling Strategy

The electrical performance and reliability of flat type photovoltaic (PV) modules can be severely affected by elevated cell operating temperature due to elevated ambient temperatures. In this work the free flow front water cooling solutions to enhance flat-type PV module electrical performance is experimentally explored on laboratory scale module operated outdoors under natural light luminance. Water-cooling is implemented using a perforated tube disposed on the top of the panel and a chilled water source, both attached to the module active surface. The cooling water directly wets the module active surface, thereby decreasing the light reflection loss and cleaning the panel surface in the same time. For given meteorological conditions, the efficiency of free water cooling was measured and the corresponding additionally electrical energy yield was determined. The equivalent electric circuit of the PV panel cooling system is developed and an appropriate algorithm for its parameters experimental determination is proposed.

Simulated Performance Analysis of a Hybrid Water-Cooled Photovoltaic/Parabolic Dish Concentrator Coupled with Conical Cavity Receiver

The present research discloses a novel hybrid water-cooled Photovoltaic/Parabolic Dish Concentrator coupled with conical cavity receiver and spectral beam splitter (PV/PDC-CCR-BSF). In effect, a compact co-generating solar-concentrating PV system involving a subsequent optical interface has been fully developed and numerically tested. The optical performance of the proposed hybrid solar-concentrating system was modeled and assessed using the RT 3D-4R method while the thermal yield of the system was examined using the Finite Element Method. In addition to that, different configurations of serpentine-shape embedded water-cooling pipes (rectangle, semicircle, semi-ellipse and triangle) have been tested and optimized for maximum heat collection and minimum operating cell temperature. The performance of all the tested serpentine-shape embedded water-cooling pipes was evaluated with respect to conventional serpentine-shape water-cooling pipes. The outcomes indicated that the triangular cross-section outperforms other shapes in terms of heat dissipation capabilities, with about −446 W and maximum useful thermal power in the medium of the heat transfer fluid of 11.834 kW.