Experimental Evaluation of a Solar Low-Concentration Photovoltaic/Thermal System Combined with a Phase-Change Material Cooling Technique
The high operating temperatures of photovoltaic (PV) panels negatively affect both electrical efficiency and material degradation rate. Combining both a water-cooling-based photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system and a phase-change material (PCM) with/without low concentration (LC) represents a promising...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/1/25 |
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| author | Mahmoud B. Elsheniti Saad Zaheer Obida Zeitoun Hassan Alshehri Abdulrahman AlRabiah Zeyad Almutairi |
| author_facet | Mahmoud B. Elsheniti Saad Zaheer Obida Zeitoun Hassan Alshehri Abdulrahman AlRabiah Zeyad Almutairi |
| author_sort | Mahmoud B. Elsheniti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The high operating temperatures of photovoltaic (PV) panels negatively affect both electrical efficiency and material degradation rate. Combining both a water-cooling-based photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system and a phase-change material (PCM) with/without low concentration (LC) represents a promising solution for boosting the overall energy conversion efficiency of the PV system. This approach needs to be evaluated in harsh weather where the PCM should have a high melting temperature. Therefore, this study experimentally investigates the performance of three PV cooling systems, namely PV-PCM, PV/T-PCM, and LCPV/T-PCM, compared to a reference PV without cooling, under the weather conditions of Riyadh. The results show that the PV/T-PCM attained the highest daily average electrical and overall efficiencies of 14.24% (5% increase) and 42.7%, respectively, compared to 13.56% electrical efficiency of the reference panel. The electrical efficiency of the PV-PCM was 13.64% due to inefficient natural cooling in the afternoon. The LCPV/T-PCM recorded the best performance during the two hours around noon, with an average increase in electrical power and efficiency of 11.06% and a maximum overall efficiency of 70%. Finally, the LCPV/T-PCM system can be only effectively used to support the higher demand for electricity and thermal energy around noon; otherwise, a new design configuration with low concentration is needed to establish a higher electrical efficiency in most hours of sunlight. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:09:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7c4de8424654eaeb4e653152aae839e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:09:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7c4de8424654eaeb4e653152aae839e2023-11-16T14:49:36ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-12-011312510.3390/app13010025Experimental Evaluation of a Solar Low-Concentration Photovoltaic/Thermal System Combined with a Phase-Change Material Cooling TechniqueMahmoud B. Elsheniti0Saad Zaheer1Obida Zeitoun2Hassan Alshehri3Abdulrahman AlRabiah4Zeyad Almutairi5Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaThe high operating temperatures of photovoltaic (PV) panels negatively affect both electrical efficiency and material degradation rate. Combining both a water-cooling-based photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system and a phase-change material (PCM) with/without low concentration (LC) represents a promising solution for boosting the overall energy conversion efficiency of the PV system. This approach needs to be evaluated in harsh weather where the PCM should have a high melting temperature. Therefore, this study experimentally investigates the performance of three PV cooling systems, namely PV-PCM, PV/T-PCM, and LCPV/T-PCM, compared to a reference PV without cooling, under the weather conditions of Riyadh. The results show that the PV/T-PCM attained the highest daily average electrical and overall efficiencies of 14.24% (5% increase) and 42.7%, respectively, compared to 13.56% electrical efficiency of the reference panel. The electrical efficiency of the PV-PCM was 13.64% due to inefficient natural cooling in the afternoon. The LCPV/T-PCM recorded the best performance during the two hours around noon, with an average increase in electrical power and efficiency of 11.06% and a maximum overall efficiency of 70%. Finally, the LCPV/T-PCM system can be only effectively used to support the higher demand for electricity and thermal energy around noon; otherwise, a new design configuration with low concentration is needed to establish a higher electrical efficiency in most hours of sunlight.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/1/25photovoltaic coolingphotovoltaic efficiencysolar low concentrationphase change materialhigh ambient temperature |
| spellingShingle | Mahmoud B. Elsheniti Saad Zaheer Obida Zeitoun Hassan Alshehri Abdulrahman AlRabiah Zeyad Almutairi Experimental Evaluation of a Solar Low-Concentration Photovoltaic/Thermal System Combined with a Phase-Change Material Cooling Technique Applied Sciences photovoltaic cooling photovoltaic efficiency solar low concentration phase change material high ambient temperature |
| title | Experimental Evaluation of a Solar Low-Concentration Photovoltaic/Thermal System Combined with a Phase-Change Material Cooling Technique |
| title_full | Experimental Evaluation of a Solar Low-Concentration Photovoltaic/Thermal System Combined with a Phase-Change Material Cooling Technique |
| title_fullStr | Experimental Evaluation of a Solar Low-Concentration Photovoltaic/Thermal System Combined with a Phase-Change Material Cooling Technique |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental Evaluation of a Solar Low-Concentration Photovoltaic/Thermal System Combined with a Phase-Change Material Cooling Technique |
| title_short | Experimental Evaluation of a Solar Low-Concentration Photovoltaic/Thermal System Combined with a Phase-Change Material Cooling Technique |
| title_sort | experimental evaluation of a solar low concentration photovoltaic thermal system combined with a phase change material cooling technique |
| topic | photovoltaic cooling photovoltaic efficiency solar low concentration phase change material high ambient temperature |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/1/25 |
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