Design and experimental analysis of a parallel-flow photovoltaic-thermal air collector with finned latent heat thermal energy storage unit

Abstract

In this work, it is aimed to improve the performance of a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) air collector using finned latent heat thermal energy storage unit. In this regard, four different types of parallel-flow PVT (PPVT) systems have been designed, manufactured and tested including a conventional PPVT, a PPVT with paraffin-based thermal energy storage unit, a PPVT with 3-finned storage unit and a PPVT with 6-finned storage unit. A parallel-flow collector geometry has been designed to convey excess heat from both surfaces of the photovoltaic panel in the systems. Moreover, the effect of increasing the number of fins in the storage system in the PPVT on the performance has been analyzed within the scope of this work and the developed systems have been tested simultaneously. According to the experimentally obtained findings, overall efficiency value of the PPVT was improved from 55.83% to 76.79% using thermal energy storage with 6-fins. The performance ratio and sustainability index values were obtained between 0.64-0.76 and 1.0277–1.0474, respectively. Enviro-economic analysis has been performed and payback periods of the systems were attained between 0.991 and 1.146 years. Also, employing 6-finned storage unit in the PPVT upgraded the annual carbon dioxide savings as 33.71% in comparison to the unmodified PPVT.