Concentrated Photovoltaic Thermal Research Articles

Seasonal thermo-enviro-economic performance analyses of concentrated PV/T integrated with humidification-dehumidification water desalination system

Concentrated solar photovoltaic thermal offers a great opportunity for water desalination by applying some thermally driven techniques. Humidification–dehumidification water desalination is appropriate for moderate installations and runs on low temperatures matching the attainable output of low concentrated photovoltaic thermal systems. So, in this paper, thermo-enviro-economic performance analyses of an integrated system consisting of compound parabolic collectors partially covered with photovoltaic cells powering humidification dehumidification water desalination system is theoretically introduced. The system performance is conducted at a seasonal scale using MATLAB throughout the whole year under the weather of New Borg El-Arab city-Alexandria-Egypt. The results indicate that raising the flow rate of the working fluid of the system increases the desalination output, reduces the PV cell temperature, and enhances PV efficiency. At a fluid flow rate of 0.02 kg/s suitable for PV safety temperature, the cell maximum and minimum temperature are 79 and 42.5 °C, maximum and output power is 6 and 3.8 kW, and maximum and minimum efficiency is 17.2 and 14.2 % respectively. The output water temperature is 73 and 36.9 °C in summer and winter, respectively. The desalination system produces maximally 4.7, 6.2, and 3.8 L/h at water to air mass flow rate ratios of 1.5, 2, and 3, respectively. The maximum achieved average monthly desalination system gain output ratio is 3.15 with an overall system efficiency of 41 %. The average annual system thermal energy and exergy yield is approximately 176 and 0.2 kWh, respectively. The annual freshwater cost is $0.0351/Liter. The system mitigates an annual average of 7.2 tons of CO2 emissions.

A 3D symmetry-preserving simulation of a concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) solar collector

In this work, a general collocated and unconditionally stable framework on unstructured meshes for solving Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) problems is presented by means of preserving the underlying symmetries of the continuous differential operators, thus not introducing uncontrolled artificial numerical dissipation to our system. Then, this framework is applied to solve a Concentrated PhotoVoltaic Thermal (CPVT) Solar Collector. Furthermore, a new boundary condition is implemented to consider the heat transfer between enclosed elements, including radiation. The model is validated using experimental data.

Optical, electrical, and thermal performance of low-concentrating photovoltaic/thermal system using microencapsulated phase change material suspension as a coolant

Concentrated photovoltaic/thermal (C-PV/T) systems exhibit superior output compared to common PV/T collectors. To address potential issues caused by excessive concentration of conventional parabolic concentrators and enhance the electro-thermal co-generation capability, this work proposes a low-concentrating PV/T (LC-PV/T) system that integrates two improved concentrator designs and a coolant of microencapsulated phase change material suspension (MPCMS). A numerical model is established to investigate the effects of working conditions and meteorological conditions on the optical, electrical and thermal performances. The results indicate that the improved concentrator designs effectively prevent over-concentration of sunlight while maintaining a comparable concentration ratio (CR). The electrical output increases with an increase in mass fraction, inlet mass flow rate and solar irradiance, but decreases with an increase in ambient temperature and inlet temperature. Conversely, thermal output increases with an increase in all of these parameters except for the inlet temperature. This system can achieve 17 % electrical efficiency and 72 % thermal efficiency due to the high-efficiency solar cells, optimized concentrator design, and unique MPCMS coolant. The system can produce a maximum electrical power of 4.76 kW/m2 and a maximum thermal power of 19.53 kW/m2. Throughout the day, total electrical and thermal energies are approximately 4.1 kWh and 58.8 MJ.

Performance research and multi-objective optimization of concentrating photovoltaic/thermal coupled air source heat pump heating system

In this paper, TRNSYS is used to simulate the heating systems of air-cooling concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (CPVT) coupled air source heat pump and water-cooling CPVT coupled air source heat pump. Besides, Grasshopper is adopted for multi-objective optimization of air-cooling system. This study not only proposed two hybrid systems and enriched the research of CPVT coupled air source heat pump, but also proposed a multi-objective optimization method, which uses Grasshopper to invoke TRNSYS. Compared with the air source heat pump system, the annual average COP of heat pump in the air-cooling system increases by 22.8%, and that of the water-cooling system decreases by 6%. The primary energy saving rate of the air-cooling system is 1.06 times and 6.67 times that of the water-cooling system and the air source heat pump system. The optimized air-cooling system reduces the annual total cost by 2.83%, and increases the energy utilization coefficient by 4.76%. The proposed air-cooling system has obvious advantages in energy saving and improving COP of heat pump. This study is useful for the cost savings and energy conservation of air-cooling concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (CPVT) coupled air source heat pump systems based on urban public buildings.

Recent techniques for cooling of concentrated photovoltaic thermal systems

Recent techniques for cooling of concentrated photovoltaic thermal systems

Energy management of a concentrated photovoltaic−thermal unit utilizing nanofluid jet impingement in existence of thermoelectric module

To generate a concentrated photovoltaic–thermal (CPVT) unit system, linear Fresnel concentrators have been attached to a PV unit and a thermoelectric generator (TEG) has been combined in this work to boost productivity. In the presence of concentrators, the temperature of the silicon layer increases. While electrical output is enhanced for the CPVT unit, the non-uniform isotherms can decrease the lifetime of the panel, so confined jets of alumina–water nanofluid have been applied for cooling. To validate the numerical code, previous papers were examined and good accommodations were reported. Various values of the inlet temperature (T in) and velocity (V in) of jets have been analysed. The impacts of installing concentrators on overall performance and CO2 mitigation have been investigated. An increase in V in leads to an incremental increase in thermal performance of about 4.2% and thermal uniformity is enhanced by about 13.91%. The thermal power of the system is enhanced by about 2.19 times as a result of adding concentrators. Also, the PV power is enhanced by 86.22% in the presence of the reflectors. With the increase in T in, the thermal and electrical performance decrease by about 19.95% and 5.24%, respectively. Installing concentrators enhances the overall performance by about 6.55%. After 10 years, the amount of CO2 mitigation for the CPVT-TEG system reaches 148.28 ton.

Mathematical model to optimize solar spectrum allocation for a Stirling engine-based concentrated photovoltaic thermal system

Incorporating a Stirling engine into a concentrated photovoltaic thermal system (CPVT) with spectral beam splitting converts wasted photovoltaic panel energy into electricity, boosting efficiency. However, complex Stirling engine development slows system performance estimation, which explains the scarce studies on the Stirling engine-based CPVT spectrum allocation range. Furthermore, the literature shows inconsistent remarks on low or high-energy photon allocation to a thermal system and uncertainty of solar irradiance variation effect on spectrum allocation. A generic methodology is presented for determining optimal spectrum allocation for a Stirling engine-based CPVT system with a dichroic filter. The analysis in this work shows that considering non-absorption and thermalization losses improves performance by 13.2 % compared to solely accounting for non-absorption loss in beam splitting. Additionally, a shift of up to 40 nm in the optimal spectrum allocation range is observed with a daily spectral irradiance source compared to the AM1.5D source. The PV mathematical model is validated with an average error of 8.9 %, and the Stirling engine model with an error of 5.2 %. Through this study, future researchers can determine an optimal spectrum allocation range for Stirling engine-based CPVT that maximizes PV performance based on a specified location with the proposed generalized CPVT model.

Effects of climate variables and nanofluid-based cooling on the efficiency of a liquid spectrum filter-based concentrated photovoltaic thermal system

Effects of climate variables and nanofluid-based cooling on the efficiency of a liquid spectrum filter-based concentrated photovoltaic thermal system

Reducing the cost of electricity storage with a novel solar thermal support scenario in pumped thermal energy storage (PTES)

Pumped Thermal Electricity Storage (PTES) is a system that allows the conversion of electrical energy into thermal energy and its more cost-effective storage. Thermal integration is one of the methods applied to increase the round-trip efficiency (ηrt) of PTES. The disadvantage of TI-PTES systems that use solar energy as a heat source is the need to store hot water with an additional heat storage system due to fluctuations in solar energy. Additional heat storage system significantly increases the cost of energy storage. In this study, a novel solar thermal integration scenario was presented. The novelty in the study has been utilizing the same water tanks for both the thermal storage of electricity and thermal support. Thermal support for PTES was provided by a concentration photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) system. Thus, it was aimed to reduce additional heat storage costs. With the proposed design (STI(CPVT)-PTES), the power supplied to the compressor (ẆCOMP) and round-trip efficiency varied in the range of 0.52–2.6 MW and 41.1–128.3 %, respectively. The overall exergy efficiency of the system varied between 19 % and 42 % depending on solar energy, sunshine duration, and parameter values. The parameter that most economically affected the system was the mass flow rate of the heat source (ṁhs), and the lowest levelized cost of storage (LCOS) was obtained as 0.227 $kWh−1 at a ṁhs of 250 kg/s. With STI(CPVT)-PTES, a reduction in LCOS ranging from 1.3 % to 33.2 % was achieved compared to other thermal integration scenarios. Analysis results revealed that the proposed system has a high potential to be an alternative to other thermally integrated PTES systems.

Numerical Assessment of the Thermal Efficiency of a Concentrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (CPV/T) Hybrid System Using Air as Heat Transfer Fluid

Numerical Assessment of the Thermal Efficiency of a Concentrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (CPV/T) Hybrid System Using Air as Heat Transfer Fluid

Simulation for impact of nanofluid spectral splitter on efficiency of concentrated solar photovoltaic thermal system

Nanofluid filter has been applied in current research to boost the efficiency of a concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) module. Owing to tunable optical features of nanofluid and its greater thermal characteristics, it was utilized as spectral filter and cooling fluid in the present proposed solar system. The mixture of silver and water has been utilized as working fluid and its concentration within the filter and cooling duct are 0.005 and 0.05, respectively. Three dimensional models have been proposed involving spectral distribution of solar irradiation. Also, transmissivity of nanofluid filter has been derived according to empirical models. Two structures have been applied for cooling duct: 1) straight bottom wall; 2) wall with triangular obstacles (semi-wavy wall). As velocity of nanofluid within the filter (Vf) section enhances, the electrical performance increases about 3.4 %. For case 4, with augment of concentration ratio (CR) from 3 to 30, the electrical performance reduces about 13.57 % while thermal performance augments about 5.68 %. When CR=10, utilizing case 4 makes electrical and thermal performance to enhance about 25.09 % and 22.36 % in comparison to case 1. Also, cell temperature decreases about 47.82 % with applying the filter within the second structure of the cooling duct.

Concentrated Photovoltaic Thermal System (CPVT): Dust Effect and Solution for Enhancing Efficiency in Photovoltaic Technology

Concentrated Photovoltaic Thermal System (CPVT): Dust Effect and Solution for Enhancing Efficiency in Photovoltaic Technology

Effects of partial shading on thermal stress and exergetic efficiency for a high concentrator photovoltaic

Highly concentrated photovoltaic systems can produce higher energy yields than conventional photovoltaic panels but have yet to reach widespread deployment, partly because of lower lifetime and hence cost effectiveness. One limiting factor in the lifetime is the excessive generation of thermal stress. This study takes a multi-objective approach to the calibration of a highly concentrated photovoltaic thermal hybrid system. Novelty is found by exploring the relationship and trade-off between thermal stress and exergetic efficiency. A variety of optical configurations are compared by partially shading the input aperture of the primary optics. Similarly, adjustments to the receiver are made by changing the angle of the solar cell by 45°. To minimise light spillage. The primary and secondary optic positions stay the same throughout all calibrations.By experimentally validating a COMSOL model of the concentrator photovoltaic system (including irradiance distribution) a thorough analysis is conducted. It was found that the maximum thermal stress within the solar cell in this study could drop by almost 10 % with small losses (<3.5 %) to total exergetic efficiency after only small changes to receiver position. Further investigations into other specialised concentrator photovoltaics are required to understand the range of impact on thermal stress.

Predication of entropy generation rate in a concentrating photovoltaic thermal system with twisted tube turbulator using Boosted regression tree algorithm

Efficient energy conversion and utilization remain paramount in addressing the growing energy demand and environmental concerns. Concentrating photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) systems have emerged as promising solutions by integrating photovoltaic (PV) cells with thermal components for simultaneous electricity and heat generation. In this paper, we propose the application of the Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) algorithm to predict the entropy generation rate in a CPVT system equipped with a perforated twisted tube turbulator. Brief introduction of numerical analysis of local and global rates of frictional (S˙fr) and thermal (S˙th) irreversibilities in a CPVT system equipped with a perforated twisted tube turbulator. The results approve the efficacy of the BRT algorithm in predicting the entropy generation rate. Through comprehensive simulations and data analysis, we establish a predictive model that considers factors such as solar irradiance, fluid flow rate, tube geometry, and turbulator characteristics. The BRT model exhibits remarkable accuracy in capturing the nuanced interplay of these factors, enabling reliable estimations of entropy generation rate.

Green hydrogen production and utilization in a novel SOFC/GT-based zero-carbon cogeneration system: A thermodynamic evaluation

Owing to the rise in global energy demand and environmental issues caused by energy supply and distribution, the attempt to design and develop novel eco-friendly and efficient cogeneration energy systems is one of the current research focuses. In this regard, this study presents a novel zero-carbon cogeneration energy system based on a pressurized solid oxide fuel cell-gas turbine (SOFC/GT) with a carbon capture and storage (CCS) process. The designed system accomplishes the joint production of energy (electricity, cooling, and heating) and matter (hydrogen, oxygen, condensate water recovery, and carbon dioxide). The proposed system also includes an advanced alkaline electrolyzer (AAE) system, an organic Rankine cycle, a LiBr-H2O absorption refrigeration cycle, and an LNG regasification cycle. A combination of a solar concentrated photovoltaic/thermal (CPV/T) system and wind turbines feed the AAE system, resulting in green hydrogen production. According to the simulation results, the suggested system under the design conditions generates power, cooling, and domestic hot water with 315 kW, 137.5 kW, and 1.012 kg/s, respectively. Also, this system can capture and store carbon dioxide, recover condensate water, and supply natural gas to the pipeline with values of 74.88 kg/h, 137.9 kg/h, and 624.24 kg/h, respectively. The results from thermodynamic analysis indicate that the CPV/T system has the highest contribution to the exergy destruction rate, and the presented cogeneration system operates with energy and exergy efficiency of 58.09% and 38.58%, respectively. Furthermore, a comprehensive parametric study has been conducted on the developed system in which the impact of important parameters, such as SOFC operating temperature, current density, solar radiation, air velocity, etc., on the output parameters of the system has been examined.

Solar driven desalination system for power and desalination water production by concentrated PVT and MED system

Abstract In this paper, a thermodynamic study of the combination of Concentrated Photovoltaic Thermal (CPVT) and Multi Effect Desalination (MED) system was conducted. CPVT produces electricity, and the heat produced in CPVT is used for the MED system. Engineering Equation Software (EES) was utilized to simulate this system. The effect of CPVT parameters (area, concentration ratio, and average solar radiation) and MED parameters (effect number and temperature of heating steam) were investigated on the produced heat, produced power, exergy destruction, total mass flow rate (FR) of desalinated water, total FR of feed water, heating steam FR and total brine FR. The range of changes for CPVT surface, concentration ratio, and average solar radiation was considered from 2000 m2 to 20000 m2, from 5 to 15 and from 400 W/m2 to 1100 W/m2, respectively. Based on obtained results, as the surface area of the solar panel, the ratio of concentration, and average solar radiation increase, the heat produced increases. Transferring this heat to the MED unit increases the total FR of desalinated water. But it has no significant effect on the Gain ratio (GOR). As the surface area of the solar panel increases from 10000 m2 to 12000 m2, the average radiation intensity increases from 800 W/m2 to 1000 W/m2, and the concentration ratio increases from 10 to 12 in effect the number of 4 and steam temperature of 70 °C, the total mass FR of desalinated water increases by 29 %, 23 %, and 20 %, respectively.

Numerical investigation for concentrated photovoltaic solar system in existence of paraffin equipped with MWCNT nanoparticles

To generate greater electricity and heat saving, a concentrated PVT (Photovoltaic thermal) system was applied in current study. The thermal section of the unit includes tubes containing nanofluid and paraffin containers in existence of MWCNT nanoparticles. Numerical simulation has been incorporated to investigate the impact of installing fins within the paraffin zone. The four mirrors with equal width have been utilized to concentrate the solar irradiation which leads to use of the whole solar spectrum. Laminar 3D flow within the cooling unit has been considered. The verification tests have been done in both views of melting modeling and PVT simulation. The grid independence procedure has been done and also, the best value of time step has been selected. Three configurations of fins (I-shape, short base arrow and long base arrow) have been implemented with four levels of Re (25, 750, 1250 and 1750). The maximum useful heat has been achieved for configuration of short base arrows. Dispersing MWCNT nanoparticles makes useful heat to increase about 9.58% for greatest inlet flow. The minimum temperature of the paraffin zone has been reported for short base arrows and augment of Re leads to reduction of temperature about 1.05%. Among scrutinized configurations, the maximum value of ηele belongs to the configuration of short base arrows and this function enhances with augment of Re about 3.72%.

Swirling jet impingements for thermal management of high concentrator solar cells using nanofluids

Large intensity of irradiance in high concentrator solar cells leads to extremely high temperatures causing an adverse effect on the performance of solar cells. Efficient cooling systems are crucial for the optimal performance of high concentrator cells, which are typically required to operate within a prescribed temperature range (⁓ 110 °C). The implementation of effective cooling strategies poses a significant challenge for High Concentrator Photovoltaic Thermal (HCPV/T) hybrid systems to ensure sustained performance and longevity of the modules. This study proposes a novel method for the thermal management of High Concentrator Solar Cells (HCSC) using swirling nanofluid jets impinging on a heat sink. The study applies RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes) method with the SST k-ω turbulence model and energy equation to resolve a conjugate heat transfer analysis for three different flow ratios: Qr = 0, Qr = 0.5 and Qr = 1 and two water-based nanofluids: Al2O3-Water and CuO-Water. The numerical results demonstrate a significant decrease in cell temperatures, reaching as low as 71 °C. At a mass flow rate of 50 g/min, the use of Al2O3-Water nanofluid increases the overall electrical efficiency by a maximum of 39.43%. In contrast, a minimum electrical efficiency of 39% for CuO-Water nanofluid is obtained for a lower mass flow rate (25 g/min). Al2O3-Water nanofluid yielded a maximum PEC (Performance Evaluation Criteria) of 116%, while CuO-Water nanofluid yielded about 113%. In addition, an increase of the mass flow rate results in an improvement of temperature uniformity, as demonstrated by a reduction of temperature variation from 6.8 to 5.2. These results suggest that the use of nanofluids is promising. The proposed swirling jet impinging on a heat sink in combination with nanofluid provides an effective cooling technique for HCSC, thereby potentially contributing to the improvement of the cell's performance and longevity.

Indoor experimental analysis of Serpentine-Based cooling scheme for high concentration photovoltaic thermal systems

High concentration photovoltaic thermal hybrids are expected to play an important role in meeting growing energy demands. When approaching concentrations over 1000 suns, a cooling system is needed to maximise both the thermal and electrical performance of the multi-junction solar cell without producing excessive parasitic losses.This study develops a novel simulation model to provide an in-depth understanding of the functionality of a concentrated photovoltaic thermal hybrid system with serpentine-based cooling systems. An ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic optic irradiance profile (peak effective concentration ratio: ∼1500 suns) is considered within the simulation model, which has been validated through indoor experimentation. The effectiveness of cooling is also evaluated through maximum thermal stresses generated in the multi-junction solar cell. The double serpentine design was deemed the highest performing, primarily because of the single serpentine’s excessive pressure drop. Copper as the heat sink material yielded superior performance because of its higher thermal conductivity. The maximum total exergetic efficiency achieved by the receiver was ∼ 10.9% with this configuration. Compared to some examples in the literature this value may seem low, however, it is more accurate due to the inclusion of a specific irradiance profile. All serpentine-based cooling systems could maintain the recommended operating temperature.

Optical Modelling of a Linear Fresnel Concentrator for the Development of a Spectral Splitting Concentrating Photovoltaic Thermal Receiver

Concentrating photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) solar collectors can be regarded as a promising technology, as they are capable of providing renewable electricity and industrial heat simultaneously. The development of a novel CPVT receiver for a linear Fresnel concentrator requires detailed knowledge about the optical performance of the utilised mirror field. Therefore, this paper presents a generic optical model for such concentrating solar systems. The model was developed in MATLAB™ and calculates the sun’s position depending on the location, date and time. The subsequent geometrical computation of each mirror stripe angle is the basis for the detailed consideration of internal shading mechanisms that are typical for Fresnel mirror concentrators. Furthermore, the cosine losses are determined separately for each mirror. The outcomes of the developed model comprise the optical performance parameters of the considered Fresnel mirror field, such as the geometric efficiency, resulting irradiance in the receiver input plane, expected width of the focus image, concentration factor and total radiant flux impinging the receiver. Due to the chosen design of the model, its application is not limited to a particular kind of Fresnel concentrator. By contrast, all geometric parameters, such as the number of mirrors, the dimensions of the mirrors and the receiver, among others, can be freely adjusted.