Polycrystalline Photovoltaic Research Articles

Modelling Investigation of the Heat Transfer in a Polycrystalline Photovoltaic Module

The heat transfer inside a photovoltaic (PV) module is affected by the thermo-physical properties of the module layers, the weather conditions and the surrounding environment. In this work, the heat transfer inside a PV module is described in detail, taking into account realistic boundary conditions at the module surface. We have developed a one-dimensional (1D) thermal model using the finite volume (FV) method. The results of the developed model were validated with the results of the literature. We then tested the reliability of the developed model by comparison with experimental data from the climatic conditions of the region of Errachidia Drâa-Tafilalet, and the data obtained by other empirical and analytical models of the literature. We found that the results of the developed model are in good agreement with the experimental data, and calculates better the temperature of cells.

Performance evaluation of polycrystalline photovoltaic modules in a Guinea Savanna and Mangrove swamp

This central idea of this research is to investigate how voltage, current, power output and efficiency of polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) modules installed in a Guinea Savanna and Mangrove Swamp is affected by temperature, relative humidity and irradiance. The study locations are Calabar (mangrove swamp) and Ogoja (guinea savanna), in Cross River State, Nigeria. Two polycrystalline PV modules of exact specification mounted on a platform one-metre-high above the ground were used. A digital solar power meter (SM206) and a digital solar flux meter (MS 6616) was used to monitor and measure solar power and solar flux reaching the PV modules. A digital hygrometer and thermometer (KT-908) were used to monitor and measure the relative humidity and ambient temperature level at the height of installation and a digital multimeter (M880C+) accompanied with a temperature sensor was used to monitor voltage, current and panel temperature values from the modules. Analysis of the collected data reveals that the efficiency of the modules were not constant throughout the day. However, a higher voltage production and efficiency level was obtained for the PV module installed in Ogoja than that installed in Calabar under their respective levels of relative humidity, temperature and irradiance.

Performance Investigation of Tempered Glass-Based Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Solar photovoltaic (PV) converts sunlight into electricity and is an appropriate alternative to overcome the depletion of conventional fuels and global warming issues. The performance of a PV panel may vary with respect to PV cell technology, fabrication methods, and operating conditions. This research aims at performing an experimental study to investigate the electrical performance of novel tempered glass-based PV panels using two different types of solar cells: monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Tempered glass-based panels are modified forms of commercial PV panels, in which ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and Tedlar are not utilized. This new fabrication method was carried out in this research. Real-time data recordings regarding the PV electrical characteristics ( I - V curve) and solar irradiance were conducted under Malaysian weather conditions on clear sunny days. Results indicated that, at solar irradiance of 900 W/m2, the outputs from the fabricated polycrystalline and monocrystalline PV panels were 67.4 W and 75.67 W, respectively. However, at the highest average solar irradiance (634.61 W/m2), which was obtained at 12:30 PM, the outputs from both panels were 47.87 W and 54.89 W. An I - V curve was obtained for the real-time weather. The electrical efficiencies of the two PV panels were analyzed to be 10.54% and 12.23%.

Energy and economic analysis of photovoltaic, concentrating photovoltaic, and combined concentrating photovoltaic/ thermal‐organic Rankine cycle power plants in Iran

In this study, energy and economic analyses of three small-scale solar power plants were conducted in various parts of Iran. The power plants were polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV), concentrating photovoltaic (CPV), and combined concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (CPV/T) and Rankine organic cycle (ORC). Electricity productions for the PV and CPV power plants were initially obtained. The electricity generation from the combined CPV/T and ORC power plant was then calculated and compared with the other two plants studied. In addition, an economic analysis of all the plants studied was also conducted. All calculations have been performed using in-house computer code written in MATLAB software. Results showed that the CPV and CPV/T and ORC plants are most suitable for those regions of Iran where the global annual horizontal solar energy is more than 1900 and 2000 kWh/m2, respectively. In these regions, the CPV and CPV/T and ORC plants generate up to 200% of the electrical energy generated by the PV plant. Based on the current feed-in tariff for photovoltaic systems in Iran, the economic analysis suggests that when the land costs are not a major concern in all the plants under consideration, the CPV and CPV/T and ORC plants are mainly profitable in the regions where the annual horizontal solar energy is more than 1900 kWh/m2.

Evaluation of Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Photovoltaic Panels in Sinop Province Conditions

Due to the increase in energy consumption and environmental pollution in recent years, countries have included renewable energy in their long-term energy policies by supporting researches to increase the usage diversity and performance of renewable energy sources. Solar energy, one of these renewable energy types, and its various applications are of great importance to increase the energy production diversity. In this context, evaluation of monocrystalline and polycrystalline photovoltaic panel performance was performed under Sinop climate conditions. In the first stage, the most suitable panel tilt for Sinop province was found by recording the voltage and current values of the panels at different panel angles. Then, in different days, the efficiencies of the panels were calculated using the determined optimum angle and compared with the literature. Finally, the effect of temperature change on the panels was evaluated. With this study, the most suitable panel type is determined for Sinop province and its surrounding conditions, thus preventing unnecessary investments and efficiency losses.

Parameter Extraction of Three Diode Solar Photovoltaic Model Using Improved Grey Wolf Optimizer

The enhancement of photovoltaic (PV) energy systems relies on an accurate PV model. Researchers have made significant efforts to extract PV parameters due to their nonlinear characteristics of the PV system, and the lake information from the manufactures’ PV system datasheet. PV parameters estimation using optimization algorithms is a challenging problem in which a wide range of research has been conducted. The idea behind this challenge is the selection of a proper PV model and algorithm to estimate the accurate parameters of this model. In this paper, a new application of the improved gray wolf optimizer (I-GWO) is proposed to estimate the parameters’ values that achieve an accurate PV three diode model (TDM) in a perfect and robust manner. The PV TDM is developed to represent the effect of grain boundaries and large leakage current in the PV system. I-GWO is developed with the aim of improving population, exploration and exploitation balance and convergence of the original GWO. The performance of I-GWO is compared with other well-known optimization algorithms. I-GWO is evaluated through two different applications. In the first application, the real data from RTC furnace is applied and in the second one, the real data of PTW polycrystalline PV panel is applied. The results are compared with different evaluation factors (root mean square error (RMSE), current absolute error and statistical analysis for multiple independent runs). I-GWO achieved the lowest RMSE values in comparison with other algorithms. The RMSE values for the two applications are 0.00098331 and 0.0024276, respectively. Based on quantitative and qualitative performance evaluation, it can be concluded that the estimated parameters of TDM by I-GWO are more accurate than those obtained by other studied optimization algorithms.

Sun Irradiance Trappers For Solar PV Module To Operate On Maximum Power: An Experimental Study

In this paper, an experimental investigation carries out on poly-crystalline photovoltaic (PV) system for performance enhancement with the help of a thin acrylic sheet (thickness- 2 mm). There are three types of systems used under this experimental setup as (i) PV module under normal conditions/ without sheet (ii) PV module under the triangular shape of the transparent sheet (iii) PV module under rectangular shape transparent sheet. The performance analysis of all three systems has been monitored in terms of open-circuit voltage, short circuit current, power, efficiency. Simultaneously, a statistical measurement approach of sun irradiation with constant temperature is carried out during the single day experimental study. The performance of the (Triangular shaped transparent sheet) TSTS configuration found superior which provide 22.064 Watt power at 12 am, whereas (Rectangular shaped transparent sheet) RSTS configuration provide 20.4 W at the same time. The TSTS configuration provides 1.12A short circuit current at 12 am, whereas RSTS configuration provides 1.02A short circuit current at the same time. The TSTS configuration provides 8.92% better value. The TSTS configuration provides 20V open-circuit voltage at 12 am, whereas RSTS configuration provides 19.8V open-circuit voltage at the same time. The TSTS configuration provides 1% higher value. So that the TSTS configuration provides the maximum output of the solar PV panel.

Investigating the cooling of solar photovoltaic modules under the conditions of Riyadh

Cooling enhances the energy conversion efficiency and output of photovoltaic (PV) panels. In this work, the effects of natural convection, forced convection, and evaporative cooling on the performance of polycrystalline PV panels were investigated. The output and efficiency of a cooled PV panel were monitored and compared to those of an uncooled PV panel under the same conditions. The cooling was conducted using an insulated channel installed below a PV panel. Natural convection cooling was investigated for various channel air gaps (H = 30, 60, 90, and 120 mm). Natural convection currents in the cooling channels were capable of cooling the panel with wide air gaps. In forced convection cooling, the air was introduced by fans installed at the bottom opening of the cooling channel with various air velocities (ua = 1, 2, and 3 m/s). Evaporative natural convection cooling was performed by a wetted fabric along the lower surface of the cooling channel, whereas evaporative forced convection cooling by pushing air along the wetted lower surface of the channel. The experimental data showed that the panel efficiency and output increased due to cooling. The experimental results of natural convection cooling revealed that the use of an air gap of 120 mm to cool the solar panel contributed to an increase in the panel daily energy production and efficiency by 1.7% and 1.2%, respectively. For forced convection cooling, using air at a speed of 3 m/s increased the daily energy production by 4.4% and the efficiency by 4%. Natural convection evaporative cooling increased the daily energy production and the efficiency by 3.6% and 2.7%, respectively. Forced convection evaporative cooling contributed, at a speed of 2 m/s, to an increase in the daily energy production by 3.8% and an increase in efficiency of 3.8%.

Performance analysis and electrical production of photovoltaic modules using active cooling system and reflectors

The purpose of this study is to improve the electrical performance of the photovoltaic (PV) module by using the sunlight concentration and cooling technique. Three identical polycrystalline PV modules were used in the experiments; ordinary PV module, concentrated PV module (CPV) and CPV system with cooling technique. The experiments were performed in a clear day on September 24th in Duhok, Iraq. The cooling system is developed by the water flowing on the front of the PV panel. The operating temperature of the CPV is kept very low by the cooling system, i.e., 30–35 °C. The maximum power output of CPV system and CPV system with cooling compared with the reference PV module is improved by the rates of 8% and 18.5%, respectively. In addition, the maximum percentage increase in the electrical efficiency of the CPV system and CPV system with cooling technique is 6.5% and 17.7%, respectively. The CPV with the cooling system delivered more energy than the other two cases. According to the economic analysis of a typical domestic use, the payback period is 3.77, 3.52, and 3.23 years for the stand-alone PV module, CPV system and the CPV with active cooling system, respectively.

Optimal PV Parameter Estimation via Double Exponential Function-Based Dynamic Inertia Weight Particle Swarm Optimization

Parameters associated with electrical equivalent models of the photovoltaic (PV) system play a significant role in the performance enhancement of the PV system. However, the accurate estimation of these parameters signifies a challenging task due to the higher computational complexities and non-linear characteristics of the PV modules/panels. Hence, an effective, dynamic, and efficient optimization technique is required to estimate the parameters associated with PV models. This paper proposes a double exponential function-based dynamic inertia weight (DEDIW) strategy for the optimal parameter estimation of the PV cell and module that maintains an appropriate balance between the exploitation and exploration phases to mitigate the premature convergence problem of conventional particle swarm optimization (PSO). The proposed approach (DEDIWPSO) is validated for three test systems; (1) RTC France solar cell, (2) Photo-watt (PWP 201) PV module, and (3) a practical test system (JKM330P-72, 310 W polycrystalline PV module) which involve data collected under real environmental conditions for both single- and double-diode models. Results illustrate that the parameters obtained from proposed technique are better than those from the conventional PSO and various other techniques presented in the literature. Additionally, a comparison of the statistical results reveals that the proposed methodology is highly accurate, reliable, and efficient.

The impact of high temperature and irradiance source on the efficiency of polycrystalline photovoltaic panel in a controlled environment

Solar cells are highly sensitive to temperature, which affects its operating parameters. The study has its aim in accessing the impact of temperature (in excess above the maximum operating cell temperature) and irradiance source on the efficiency of polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) solar panels in an environment where the temperature and irradiance level can be fully controlled. For the study to achieve its aim, a solar box and tungsten light bulbs were used to create an environment where the irradiance level and the temperature can be controlled. The solar panel was placed inside the solar box facing the light source while the irradiance level and temperature were measured and held constant. Results show a steady decrease in voltage with increasing temperature while the performance ratio and efficiency of the photovoltaic module followed a similar trend as that of voltage once the temperature exceeds the maximum operating cell temperature. Results also show the output voltage of the photovoltaic to be higher under the tungsten light than the sun, but the efficiency achieved by the photovoltaic under the sun far exceeds that obtained under the tungsten light.

Investigation of life cycle CO2 emissions of the polycrystalline and cadmium telluride PV panels

The importance of energy increases in human life with the development of technology. However, most of the world’s energy needs are still met by fossil fuels. The interest in renewable energy is increasing due to the increase in demand for fossil fuels, their limitedness, and environmental damage. Solar energy, which is an unlimited and clean energy source, is among the most popular renewable energy sources. Solar energy is used by processes such as heating and electricity generation. In this study, the emission amount of polycrystalline and cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) panels to the environment during the life cycle were compared. During the life cycle, the amount of emission released to the environment during the production, recycling, and electricity generation of the panel was determined. In addition, energy payback times of these two PV types were calculated. The emission amount for both of 1 m2 polycrystalline and CdTe PV panel throughout the life cycle was determined to be 201.4 and 115.04 kg−CO2, respectively. Besides, the average energy payback period of the polycrystalline panel is 0.92 years, while it is 0.57 years for the CdTe panel. In addition, the emission amount of the solar panel and the natural gas-powered thermal power plant known as a clean energy source were compared. As a result, a huge difference was observed between the emission amount released by the PV panel to the environment and the emission released as a result of the energy produced by the thermal power plant under the same conditions during its 17-year lifetime. PV panel saves 1.72 tons of CO2 emissions compared to the thermal power plant, and so PV panels appear to be 9.52 times more environmentally friendly.

Exergy, economic and environmental evaluation of an optimized hybrid photovoltaic-geothermal heat pump system

This research presents different scenarios of hybrid photovoltaic-geothermal heat pump system that can provide the requirements of the heating and cooling load consumption in a residential building during the year. One of the major purposes of the present study is to explore the optimum contribution of the solar and ground source energies in which the generation energy costs are reasonable with respect to the total costs, lifetime, and energy losses. For this purpose, a numerical dynamic model consisting of different solar photovoltaic (PV) panels of polycrystalline, monocrystalline, and thin-film cells, batteries, inverter, and ground source heat pump (GSHP) was developed using the engineering equation solver and TRNSYS software. In order to reach the best performance of the system, multi- and single-objective optimizations of the life cycle cost and irreversibility were carried out using the particle swarm optimization algorithm considering all effective parameters of the system including surface area, slope, direction of PV panels and battery capacity. Moreover, the optimization tool which was developed in MATLAB software, was adopted for data interaction between TRNSYS and MATLAB. The results indicate that among various scenarios, the optimized hybrid polycrystalline PV system with an area of 35 m2 and a solar fraction of 31% can be cost-effective up to a 24% inflation rate. Also, the payback period of the optimized hybrid system compared to the regular GSHP is 3 years with the average global costs, while this value is 10 years for Iran’s economic situation.

The Solar Renewable Energy System Study with A Capacity of 1300 W Utilizing Polycrystalline Photovoltaic

Solar energy is one of the alternative energy that is environmentally friendly and cheapraw materials and available throughout the year as a substitute for conventional energy whose raw materials are getting thinner and have a bad impact on the environment such as air pollution, noise and hazardous waste for the environment over a long period of time, solar energy has great potential as an independent solar power plant, which offers solutions to provide electricity to meet electricity needs, especially in areas not yet covered by the electricity grid of the National Electric Company. The 1300 W solar power plant is planned to use polycrystalline solar panels with a capacity 100 WP, combined with battery components and inverters, it can generate AC current for daily electricity needs. The greater the electrical load, the faster the battery life. This research shows that it takes 60 polycrystalline solar panels for 12 hours, 26 Solar Chargers 15 A, 9 batteries with a capacity of 150 Ah, and 15 Inverters 1300 W.

Preliminary Studies on Design of Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) Solar Collector for Roofing System Application.

This study was conducted to develop and study the performance of a Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) system technology, a system which combines the Photovoltaic (PV) system with a solar thermal (T) system that produces electricity and hot water simultaneously. The objective of this study is to develop a working prototype of the PVT system for roofing system application with water as the cooling agent. A polycrystalline PV cells was used as the solar collector while a transparent rubber tube was attached at the backside of the PV panel with water flowing directly from a water tap source. Two designs were examined for the heat absorber design which was categorized as the parallel and spiral flow design. The system was run at an open space to simulate real life application. A working PVT system was developed; however an electrical efficiency drops 0.3% and 1.07% on the parallel and spiral design respectively when compared to the standard PV system.

Preliminary SWCNTs-kerosene on Carreau MHD flow over a wall with distinct thickness

The Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) Carreau over a stretched surface on a kerosene oil based is examined in this paper. Most specifically, we extended and reported the effects of various parameter namely; magnetic field, thermal radiative and heat generation on the temperature. Thermal conductivity enhancements of water and seawater in the presence of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are presented. We used transformation of similarity to reduce and regenerated the partial differential equations (PDEs) into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) for the nonlinear governing equation alongside with their related boundary conditions. The result of the regenerated ODEs is solved numerically by the application of the fourth/fifth order Runge Kutta Fehlberg technique with method of shooting using Maple code. The result obtained indicated that there is significant positive correlation between high electric field. The result reported that the temperature parameter is decreased with all parameter when the electric is high (El=0.5), which indicated that the electric filed is a dominant of SWCNTs-kerosene.his study was conducted to develop and study the performance of a Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) system technology, a system which combines the Photovoltaic (PV) system with a solar thermal (T) system that produces electricity and hot water simultaneously. The objective of this study is to develop a working prototype of the PVT system for roofing system application with water as the cooling agent. A polycrystalline PV cells was used as the solar collector while a transparent rubber tube was attached at the backside of the PV panel with water flowing directly from a water tap source. Two designs were examined for the heat absorber design which was categorized as the parallel and spiral flow design. The system was run at an open space to simulate real life application. A working PVT system was developed; however an electrical efficiency drops 0.3% and 1.07% on the parallel and spiral design respectively when compared to the standard PV system.

Performance Evaluation of Polycrystalline Photovoltaic Module based on Varying Temperature for Baghdad City Climate

The impact of the solar photovoltaic cell temperature on module output performance parameters is investigated experimentally under conditions of Baghdad city climate in the present study. The tests are conducted using a test rig for Polycrystalline silicon solar panel with rated capacity 300W and equipped with measuring devices. Test conditions are based on three months duration, June, July and August of year 2019 through the period from 8AM to 4PM per day. This period represents the highest ambient temperatures through summer months in Baghdad city in Iraq. The results have shown that, under the test conditions for cell temperature with range 45-65°C a significant reduction in the output power, efficiency and fill factor with module temperature rise were observed. The loss in the open circuit voltage and output power of the photovoltaic module was about -0.104/°C and -1.3/°C respectively. The reductions in the current and voltage at maximum output power with temperature increasing were about -5.24% and -5.45% respectively. The drops in the efficiency and fill factor of the photovoltaic module due to the module temperature increase were 9.62% and 12.96% respectively compared to that at standard conditions. The temperature coefficient of the maximum power was -0.52% for the solar photovoltaic module under test conditions.

Experimental investigation of soiling losses and a novel cost-effective cleaning system for PV modules

Dust accumulation significantly reduces the efficiency of a photovoltaic (PV) module, and the unavailability of an economical and efficient cleaning solution is the persistent problem. Therefore, the focus of this study is to investigate the effect of dust on PV performance and propose a novel cleaning system for the removal of dust from the PV modules. The outdoor experiment is conducted on the monocrystalline (mono-PV) and polycrystalline (poly-PV) PV modules. Each experimental set contains two PV modules (mono-PV and poly-PV), one set is cleaned every day and the other set left uncleaned throughout the experiment. The cleaning of the PV module is performed using pressurized water, sprayed through a flat-fan nozzle to clean the front surface. The wastewater is collected, filtered and directed back to the storage tank. The cleaning system has a water recovering capacity of 55% and a water requirement of 1.8 L per m2 of PV area. It has been analyzed and observed that the output power of the mono-PV module and poly-PV module has decreased by 16.16% and 11.54%, respectively after one month with the dust deposition density of 4.6 g/m2. The cleaning process improves the efficiency of the PV modules to 98% of it’s original value in 35 s of operation. It has been evaluated that the proposed cleaning system is cost-effective for commercial sized PV modules. Furthermore, the mono-PV module (400-watts) and poly-PV module (355-watts) should be cleaned within 85 days of dust accumulation for optimum energy usage.

The influence of solar power and solar flux on the efficiency of polycrystalline photovoltaics installed close to a river

<p>There is an increasing focus on utilizing the renewable energy resources, especially solar energy as the fossils are expected to deplete in near future. Solar Photovoltaics have remained of particular interest because of their relative lower overall efficiencies .Most researchers are trying to enhance the overall performance of Solar Photovoltaic and trying to study factor that may possible lead to an increase in the overall performance of a Solar Photovoltaic Panels. A thorough investigation was carried out to study the influence of solar power and solar flux on the performance parameters of Photovoltaic (Polycrystalline). The data used in the research was obtained by in-situ measurement approach using an SM206 precision digital solar power meter, a digital solar flux meter, and an M890C<sup>+</sup> digital Multimeter. The result obtained shows an interesting correlation for current, efficiency and solar power as well as for solar flux which indicates that high solar power and solar flux positively enhances the performance of the photovoltaic. The results also reveal that once the solar power or solar flux reaching the photovoltaic exceeds 200W/m<sup>2</sup> or 20Klux, the voltage from the photovoltaic approaches maximum and remains fairly stable irrespective of the amount of solar power or solar flux reaching the photovoltaic. The data collected for three months, July, August and September shows prediction efficiency of 87 %, 63% and 71% at 11:30am, 12:30 pm and 10:30 am respectively.</p>

Spectral Filtering of Photovoltaic Cells using Novel Bio-Filter: Silver Coated Hibiscus Extract using Water Solution

The photovoltaic (PV) technology has evolved over the years based on the three main challenges i.e. efficiency, longevity and cost. Till date, there had not been a precise solution to the negative effect of solar IR radiation on the longevity of PV panels. In this research, the bio-filter was synthesized to filter harmful solar radiation. Bio-filter is made up of metallic coated plant extract. The monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV panel were used to test the performance of the bio-filter. It was observed that the bio-filter optimized the current generation in the panel to about 3%.