Moment performance of Photovoltaic/Thermal Hybrid Panel (Numerical analysis and Exergetic Evaluation)

Abstract

Photovoltaic/thermal hybrid panel is a high efficient energy converter which supplies electrical energy and thermal energy from solar energy. In this paper, we clarified characteristics of two types of PV/Ts' change by means of environment condition and fluid flow rate, using numerical analysis. As a result, photovoltaic efficiencies came to 9.61%in PV/T_A, 10.56%in PV/T_B respectively at T_c=25°C, and thermal ones 52.11%in PV/T_A, 40.14%in PV/T_B respectively at T_l=40°C, Irr=800W/m². From this result, we propose some design points to construct the optimum structure of PV/T. Next, we adopted exergetic evaluation to evaluate electrical energy and thermal energy quantitatively. As a result, we could confirm the existence of flow rate maximizing the total efficiency (say optimum flow rate) on some environment condition, and could define the optimum operating condition. Moreover we compare exergetic efficiencies on optimum operating conditions (say max. exergetic efficiency) under various environment conditions with PV and PV/T_A and PV/T_B. A rise of max. exergetic efficiency to increasing irradiance came to -3.6%/kW•m^-2, +3.6%/kW•m^-2, +1.4%/kW•m^-2 respectively. Nevertheless we could confirm a hybrid-izing merit to high irradiance.