Experimental Study on the Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of an Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collector
1
Zero Energy Building Laboratory, Graduate School of Energy Systems Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Korea
2
Green Energy Technology Research Center, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Korea
3
Department of Architectural Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Energies 2019, 12(14), 2661; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12142661
Received: 8 May 2019
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Revised: 5 July 2019
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Accepted: 8 July 2019
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Published: 11 July 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic / Thermal (PVT) Collectors)
A photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system is a technology that combines photovoltaics (PV) and a solar thermal collector to produce thermal energy and generate electricity. PVT systems have the advantage that the energy output per unit area is higher than the single use of a PV module or solar thermal collector, since both heat and electricity can be produced and used simultaneously. Air-based PVT collectors use air as the heat transfer medium and flow patterns are important factors that affect the performance of the PVT collector. In this study, the thermal and electrical performance and characteristics of an air-based PVT collector were analyzed through experiments. The PVT collector, with bending round-shaped heat-absorbing plates, which increase the air flow path, has been developed to improve the thermal performance. The experiment was done under the test conditions of ISO 9806:2017 for the thermal performance analysis of an air-based PVT collector. The electrical performance was analyzed under the same conditions. In the results, it can be found that the inlet flow rate of the PVT collector considerably affects the thermal efficiency. It was analyzed that as the inlet flow rate increased from 60 to 200 m3/h, the thermal efficiency increased from 29% to 42%. Then, the electricity efficiency was also analyzed, where it was determined that it was improved according to operating condition of PVT collector.
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Keywords:
photovoltaic thermal (PVT), air-based PVT collector; thermal characteristic; electrical characteristic
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MDPI and ACS Style
Kim, S.-M.; Kim, J.-H.; Kim, J.-T. Experimental Study on the Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of an Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collector. Energies 2019, 12, 2661. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12142661
AMA Style
Kim S-M, Kim J-H, Kim J-T. Experimental Study on the Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of an Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collector. Energies. 2019; 12(14):2661. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12142661
Chicago/Turabian StyleKim, Sang-Myung, Jin-Hee Kim, and Jun-Tae Kim. 2019. "Experimental Study on the Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of an Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collector" Energies 12, no. 14: 2661. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12142661
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