High performance evaluation of a PV/T hybrid system connected with a thermal store unit holding paraffin wax

The photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) hybrid system combines a PV panel with a thermal collector to generate both electricity and heat energy. Several research have been conducted globally since the 1970s to increase its efficiency utilising various methodologies. One type of enhancing approach employed in this industry is phase-change materials. The current study combined a paraffin wax thermal storage unit with a typical PV/T hybrid collector (WPVT) and compared its performance with that of another comparable collector without a thermal store unit (TPVT). Both collectors were tested under actual weather circumstances from January to April 2021, with two water flow rates of 0.7 and 1.2 LPM. To analyse the rate of improvement in the PV/T system by adding a paraffin wax store unit, energy and exergy were simulated. During the trial period, the WPVT system provided the maximum efficiency flow rate of 1.2 LPM. It obtained around 60% efficiency, which was around 1.4 times that of TPVT. Furthermore, the modelling results indicated that the WPVT system's maximum overall and exergy efficiencies were projected to be around 74.44 and 12%, respectively.

Automated summary

The photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) hybrid system combines a PV panel with a thermal collector to generate both electricity and heat energy. Adding phase-change materials can enhance the efficiency of the system. The study found that adding a paraffin wax thermal storage unit to the PV/T hybrid system increased its efficiency by approximately 1.4 times compared to a system without a thermal storage unit.