Experimental investigation of a double-flow photovoltaic/thermal air collector with natural dolomite powder-embedded thermal energy storage unit

Abstract

Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems have ability the produce both electrical and thermal energy in a same surface area. Additionally, utilizing PV/T systems help to reduce the solar panel temperature and therefore, improving the electrical output of the system. In this survey, it is aimed to improve the electrical and thermal effectiveness of a double-flow PV/T (DPV/T) system by using natural dolomite power-embedded thermal energy storage unit (TES). In this regard, three various types of DPV/Ts have been modelled, fabricated and experimented in the same test conditions. The first DPV/T structured as a conventional system. Second (DPV/T-TES) and third (DPV/T-DTES) systems have been upgraded with only paraffin-based and natural dolomite powder-embedded TESs, respectively. The experimentally obtained results indicated that utilizing dolomite particle-enhanced TES in the DPV/T system improved the electrical, thermal and total exergetic efficiencies as 10.83 %, 32.62 % and 54.07 %, respectively when compared to the conventional PV/T. Additionally, mean performance ratios of the tested systems were acquired between 0.62 and 0.69. The experimentally obtained findings showed the positive effect of utilizing natural dolomite particles-embedded TES in the DPV/T system on both electrical and thermal efficiencies.