Heat transfer efficiency and electrical performance evaluation of photovoltaic unit under influence of NEPCM

In present study, a design of PVT unit involving PCM has been analyzed. The influence of several types of nanofluids and NEPCMs at different concentrations on the system efficaciousness is assessed. The SiC, ZnO, MCNT (multi-walled carbon nanotube), Al2O3, Cu, and Ag nanoparticles are utilized within water and phase change material at concentrations of 0, 0.02, 0.04. The impact of different flow rates and various solar radiation intensities are also evaluated. In addition, the influence of using multilayer of PCMs (including OM35, RT35HC, and eicosane) with different combinations inside the PCM receptacle on the productivity of component is assessed. At last, a comparison study between PVT, PVT/PCM, PVT-TE (thermoelectric module), and PVT-TE/PCM collector is conducted to assess the impact of TE module integration with the PVT systems from the electrical and thermal perspectives. To simulate the procedure of the charging of paraffin, the enthalpy-porosity approach is used. In addition, a transient solver and pressure-based finite volume approach are selected to perform the simulation. Based on the acquired results, enhancing the flow rate of coolant from 3.77 to 7.54 ml/s leads to 7.21% reduction in liquid fraction. It also de-elevates the average PV temperature, average outlet temperature, and the PCM temperature by 7.06%, 35.13%, and 3.62%, respectively. Enhancement of the NEPCM concentration from 0 to 4% improves the escalating charging rate, however, it de-elevates the temperature of PV unit and the Tout of coolant slightly. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, the design of a PVT unit with phase change material (PCM) is analyzed to assess its efficiency under different concentrations of nanofluids and non-encapsulated phase change materials (NEPCMs). The effects of flow rates, solar radiation intensities, and multilayers of PCMs are also evaluated. Furthermore, a comparison study is conducted to assess the impact of integrating a thermoelectric (TE) module with the PVT system. The simulation is performed using the enthalpy-porosity approach and a transient solver with a pressure-based finite volume method. The results show that increasing the flow rate of coolant and the concentration of NEPCM can enhance the charging rate but may slightly decrease the temperature.