Exergy performance of a reversed circular flow jet impingement bifacial photovoltaic thermal (PVT) solar collector

The primary limitation of photovoltaic thermal (PVT) technologies is the adverse effect of solar irradiance-induced heat absorption. In order to enhance the efficiency of the system, it is essential to incorporate a cooling mechanism. The utilization of a reversed circular flow jet impingement (RCFJI) was implemented as a cooling mechanism for a bifacial PVT solar collector. This study aims to analyze the exergy efficiency of a RCFJI bifacial PVT solar collector. An indoor experiment was conducted using a solar simulator with a solar irradiance of 500-900W/m2 and a mass flow rate of 0.01-0.14 kg/s. The findings revealed that the highest photovoltaic exergy attained was 47.2W under solar irradiance of 900W/m2 and a mass flow rate of 0.14 kg/s. Meanwhile, the highest thermal exergy attained was 9.67W under 900W/m2 solar irradiance and 0.14 kg/s mass flow rate. Overall, the exergy efficiency attained a maximum value of 12.64% under 900W/m2, while the lowest exergy efficiency observed was 12.25% under 500W/m2. In addition, the optimal operational mass flow determined was 0.06 kg/s. The findings indicate that the optimal performance of the RCFJI bifacial PVT solar collector is achieved through higher exergy efficiency, which signifies a reduced requirement for input energy. Consequently, more energy can be harnessed.

Automated summary

A reversed circular flow jet impingement (RCFJI) was used as a cooling mechanism for a bifacial photovoltaic thermal (PVT) solar collector, and the exergy efficiency of this system was analyzed. The experimental results showed that under a solar irradiance of 900W/m2 and a mass flow rate of 0.14kg/s, the highest photovoltaic exergy and thermal exergy achieved were 47.2W and 9.67W, respectively. The exergy efficiency reached a maximum value of 12.64% under the solar irradiance of 900W/m2, with the optimal operational mass flow rate determined as 0.06kg/s.