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Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic / Thermal (PVT) Collectors
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Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic / Thermal (PVT) Collectors

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2019) | Viewed by 25347

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Robert A. Taylor

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
Interests: solar thermal collectors; heat transfer; nanotechnology; nanofluids; solar energy; thermoelectrics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce a call for submissions for a Special Issue on “Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic / Thermal (PV/T) Collectors” in the Energies Journal. While photovoltaic module efficiency is still on the rise, it is a game of diminishing returns. Hybrid photovoltaic/thermal collectors, on the other hand, can provide a relatively straight-forward pathway towards more than doubling the amount of useful energy harvested from the same collector aperture area. While hybrid PV/T collectors are not new, their commercial implementation has been limited to date, despite the fact that they can offer solar-to-utilizable energy efficiencies in excess of 50%. This Special Issue will provide academic discourse on the most recent developments in PV/T technologies and its role and relevance in tomorrow’s energy mix. Submissions are encouraged on all innovative designs/analyses in this type of technology, including (but not limited to): coupled/uncoupled and concentrated/non-concentrated PV/T collector technologies. Submissions on policy and building/grid integration issues surrounding PV/T technologies are also encouraged.

Assoc. Prof. Robert A. Taylor
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

  • Hybrid
  • Solar
  • Photovoltaic
  • Thermal
  • PV/T
  • Coupled
  • Uncoupled
  • Rooftop solar
  • Concentrated CPV
  • Concentrated CPV/T
  • Policy
  • Grid/Building Integration

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3194 KiB  
Article
Experimental Testing of Hydrophobic Microchannels, with and without Nanofluids, for Solar PV/T Collectors
by Mahdi Motamedi, Chia-Yang Chung, Mehdi Rafeie, Natasha Hjerrild, Fan Jiang, Haoran Qu and Robert A. Taylor
Energies 2019, 12(15), 3036; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12153036 - 6 Aug 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4466
Abstract
Solar energy can be converted into useful energy via photovoltaic cells or with a photothermal absorber. While these technologies are well-developed and commercially viable, significant benefits can be realised by pulling these two technologies together in photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems which can provide both [...] Read more.
Solar energy can be converted into useful energy via photovoltaic cells or with a photothermal absorber. While these technologies are well-developed and commercially viable, significant benefits can be realised by pulling these two technologies together in photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems which can provide both heat and electricity from a single collector. Emerging configurations in the PV/T field aim to incorporate micro and/or nanotechnology to boost total solar utilisation even further. One example of this is the nanofluid-based PV/T collector. This type of solar collector utilises nanofluids—suspensions of nanoparticles in traditional heat transfer fluids—as both an optical filter and as a thermal absorber. This concept seeks to harvest the whole solar spectrum at its highest thermodynamic potential through specially engineered nanofluids which transmit the portion of solar spectrum corresponding to the PV response curve while absorbing the rest as heat. Depending on the nanoparticle concentration, employing nanofluids in a flowing system may come with a price—an efficiency penalty in the form of increased pumping power (due to increased viscosity). Similarly, microchannel-based heat exchangers have been shown to increase heat transfer, but they may also pay the price of high pumping power due to additional wall-shear-related pressure drop (i.e., more no-slip boundary area). To develop a novel PV/T configuration which pulls together the advantages of these micro and nanotechnologies with minimal pumping power requirements, the present study experimentally investigated the use of nanofluids in patterned hydrophobic microchannels. It was found that slip with the walls reduced the impact of the increased viscosity of nanofluids by reducing the pressure drop on average 17% relative to a smooth channel. In addition, flowing a selective Ag/SiO2 core–shell nanofluid over a silicon surface (simulating a PV cell underneath the fluid) provided a 20% increase in solar thermal conversion efficiency and ~3% higher stagnation temperature than using pure water. This demonstrates the potential of this proposed system for extracting more useful energy from the same incident flux. Although no electrical energy was extracted from the underlying patterned silicon, this study highlights potential a new development path for micro and nanotechnology to be integrated into next-generation PV/T solar collectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic / Thermal (PVT) Collectors)
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14 pages, 2664 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of an Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collector
by Sang-Myung Kim, Jin-Hee Kim and Jun-Tae Kim
Energies 2019, 12(14), 2661; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12142661 - 11 Jul 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3837
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic / Thermal (PVT) Collectors)
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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 4817 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation on Thermal Performance of a PV/T-PCM (Photovoltaic/Thermal) System Cooling with a PCM and Nanofluid
by M. M. Sarafraz, Mohammad Reza Safaei, Arturo S. Leon, Iskander Tlili, Tawfeeq Abdullah Alkanhal, Zhe Tian, Marjan Goodarzi and M. Arjomandi
Energies 2019, 12(13), 2572; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12132572 - 4 Jul 2019
Cited by 141 | Viewed by 10301
Abstract
In the present work, an experimental investigation is performed to assess the thermal and electrical performance of a photovoltaic solar panel cooling with multi-walled carbon nanotube–water/ethylene glycol (50:50) nano-suspension (MWCNT/WEG50). The prepared nanofluid was stabilized using an ultrasonic homogenizer together with the addition [...] Read more.
In the present work, an experimental investigation is performed to assess the thermal and electrical performance of a photovoltaic solar panel cooling with multi-walled carbon nanotube–water/ethylene glycol (50:50) nano-suspension (MWCNT/WEG50). The prepared nanofluid was stabilized using an ultrasonic homogenizer together with the addition of 0.1vol% of nonylphenol ethoxylates at pH = 8.9. To reduce the heat loss and to improve the heat transfer rate between the coolant and the panel, a cooling jacket was designed and attached to the solar panel. It was also filled with multi-walled carbon nanotube–paraffin phase change material (PCM) and the cooling pipes were passed through the PCM. The MWCNT/WEG50 nanofluid was introduced into the pipes, while the nano-PCM was in the cooling jacket. The electrical and thermal power of the system and equivalent electrical–thermal power of the system was assessed at various local times and at different mass fractions of MWCNTs. Results showed that with an increase in the mass concentration of the coolant, the electricity and power production were promoted, while with an increase in the mass concentration of the nanofluid, the pumping power was augmented resulting in the decrease in the thermal–electrical equivalent power. It was identified that a MWCNT/WEG50 nano-suspension at 0.2wt% can represent the highest thermal and electrical performance of 292.1 W/m2. It was also identified that at 0.2wt%, ~45% of the electricity and 44% of the thermal power can be produced with a photovoltaic (PV) panel between 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic / Thermal (PVT) Collectors)
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Graphical abstract

19 pages, 4824 KiB  
Article
Nanofluid-Powered Dual-Fluid Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) System: Comparative Numerical Study
by M. Imtiaz Hussain, Jin-Hee Kim and Jun-Tae Kim
Energies 2019, 12(5), 775; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12050775 - 26 Feb 2019
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 5432
Abstract
A limited number of studies have examined the effect of dual-fluid heat exchangers used for the cooling of photovoltaic (PV) cells. The current study suggests an explicit dynamic model for a dual-fluid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system that uses nanofluid and air simultaneously. Mathematical modeling [...] Read more.
A limited number of studies have examined the effect of dual-fluid heat exchangers used for the cooling of photovoltaic (PV) cells. The current study suggests an explicit dynamic model for a dual-fluid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system that uses nanofluid and air simultaneously. Mathematical modeling and a CFD simulation were performed using MATLAB® and ANSYS FLUENT® software, respectively. An experimental validation of the numerical models was performed using the results from the published study. Additionally, to identify the optimal nanofluid type for the PV/T collector, metal oxide nanoparticles (CuO, Al2O3, and SiO2) with different concentrations were dispersed in the base fluid (water). The results revealed that the CuO nanofluid showed the highest thermal conductivity and the best thermal stability compared to the other two nanofluids evaluated herein. Furthermore, the influence of CuO nanofluid in combination with air on the heat transfer enhancement is investigated under different flow regions such as laminar, transition, and turbulent. Using a CuO nanofluid plus air and water plus air the total equivalent efficiency was found to be 90.3% and 79.8%, respectively. It is worth noting that the proposed models could efficiently simulate both single and dual-fluid PV/T systems even under periods of fluctuating irradiance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic / Thermal (PVT) Collectors)
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