Numerical study on soundproof photovoltaic-thermal air path design based on ISO 9806 experimental validation

Dissemination of PVT technology in urban areas is challenging due to limited space caused by high population concentration. To address this issue, new technological advancements are needed to create more space for PVT technology deployment. Previous numerical studies on PVT have focused on validation tests to ensure reliable results. However, these tests have not met international criteria, such as ISO 9806, which is essential for validating thermal performance. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct validation tests for numerical studies that align with international thermal performance test methods and criteria. This presents study the development of a soundproof PVT module that can replace conventional soundproof walls. These modules can be easily installed along roads and railroads to mitigate noise pollution and promote the adoption of PVT facilities in urban areas. Additionally, thermal performance tests of the PVT module were conducted according to ISO 9806 criteria. A numerical performance simulation model was designed based on the test data, and a sensitivity study was performed on five different air path baffle designs to enhance thermal performance while considering inlet-outlet pressure drop. The soundproof PVT module demonstrated a sound insulation performance of 32.3 dB and an average coefficient of sound absorption of 0.93, and it also indicated inlet-outlet temperature rise values of 16.4 K and 13.2 K under low and high flow rate conditions, respectively. A comparison between practical thermal performance tests and numerical thermal performance simulation data revealed relative errors of 3.2% and 1.7% under low and high flow rate conditions, respectively. The ratios of inlet-outlet temperature rise to pressure drop for Cases A, B, C, and D were 0.11 K Pa-1, 0.08 K Pa-1, 0.17 K Pa-1, and 0.41 K Pa-1, respectively, while the Case R model demonstrates a ratio of 0.29 K Pa-1 under high flow rate conditions. Among the five air path designs, Case D demonstrated the best performance in terms of thermal efficiency, surpassing even the Case R design.

Automated summary

The dissemination of PVT technology in urban areas is challenging due to limited space caused by high population concentration. To address this issue, new technological advancements are needed to create more space for PVT technology deployment. Previous numerical studies on PVT have focused on validation tests to ensure reliable results, but these tests have not met international criteria such as ISO 9806. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct validation tests for numerical studies that align with international thermal performance test methods and criteria. This study presents the development of a soundproof PVT module that can be easily installed along roads and railroads to mitigate noise pollution and promote the adoption of PVT facilities in urban areas. Additionally, validation tests and numerical simulations were conducted to evaluate the thermal performance of the module and optimize its design.