A comparative study of double-pass recycle type hybrid photovoltaic thermal designs

ABSTRACT

Photovoltaic (PV) panels play a crucial role in solar systems but are susceptible to efficiency losses caused by rising surface temperatures. This research explores four distinct recycle-type double-pass hybrid PV/T designs, employing steady-state models to cool the PV panels. The first and second designs mount the PV panel on the absorber plate, while the third and fourth designs position it directly over the absorber plate without a glass cover, allowing the sun’s radiation to fall directly on the PV module. The study investigates the significant impacts of varying values of ṁ (0.03–0.15 kg/sec), G (0.3–1.8), D (1.0–6.0), I (300–1000 W/m²), and P (0.4–0.95) on thermal and electrical efficiency, as well as net electrical power generation, taking into account pressure loss during the flow. Through the analytical study, Design-IV demonstrates the highest net electrical power, estimated at 54.82W, which is 6.27% higher than Design-III, achieved at a recycling ratio, mass flow rate, depth ratio, and packing factor of 0.9, 0.15 kg/s, 3, and 0.5, respectively. Additionally, the input parameters are optimized using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) technique. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) reveals a significant coefficient (R²) value approaching unity, indicating a strong fit of the response model to the analyzed data. By considering both single and multi-objective optimization scenarios, the study identifies optimal parameters for each PV/T design through the interaction of operational parameters. This research contributes to enhancing the efficiency and performance of double-pass recycle-type hybrid PV/T systems, enabling sustainable and effective utilization of solar energy resources.

KEYWORDS:

• Recycle ratio
• thermal efficiency
• net electrical power
• photovoltaic thermal system
• response surface methodology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2024.2302958

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ajay Kumar

Ajay Kumar has recently been conferred with his provisional Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in the augmentation of the overall efficiency of PV modules, from NIT Hamirpur. After that, he currently worked at a lovely professional university as an assistant professor. His fields of interest are energy, applied thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and renewable energies.

Prashant Dhiman

Prashant Dhiman is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at NIT Hamirpur. He received his Bachelor of Technology - Mechanical Engineering from JNTU Hyderabad (AP) in 1994 and Master of Technology - Energy Studies from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in 2004. He received his Ph.D. degree in Thermal Engineering from NIT Hamirpur in 2011. His areas of interest are Heat Transfer, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, and Gas Dynamics.