Performance assessment of PVT-air collector with V-groove absorber: A theoretical and experimental analysis

In this paper, the performance of a PVT (photovoltaic thermal) air collector with V-groove absorber in the air channel is theoretically and experimentally examined under different climate conditions of Ghaziabad city, India, in summer, June 2019. A low power brushless DC fan is fixed at the input of the air-channel to ensure the circulation of air through the V-groove. The energy balance equation is developed with the matrix-inversion method to estimate the PV (photovoltaic) cell and air output temperatures. The theoretical results obtained using mathematical modeling has been compared with that of the real-time experimental results. The electrical, thermal, and overall efficiencies for the theoretical and experimental studies are found in the range of 10.39-10.26%, 41.78-41.57%, and 52.17-51.81%, respectively. It has been observed that the theoretical results are coherent with experimental results for the proposed model achieving an accuracy of 98.98%, 99.43%, and 99.31% for electrical, thermal, and overall efficiencies, respectively.

Automated summary

This paper examines the performance of a PVT air collector with V-groove absorber theoretically and experimentally under different climate conditions in Ghaziabad city, India, in June 2019. The results show that the theoretical model aligns with the experimental results, achieving high electrical, thermal, and overall efficiencies.