Performance analysis of hybrid photovoltaic/thermal(PV/T) collector

Photo-voltaic/thermal (PV/T) hybrid collector can provide thermal and heat power at the same time. The users can switch the working mode easily according to their demands. The (PV/T) device consist of PV module and heat extraction units mounted together by which a circulating fluid of lower temperature, than that of the PV module, is heated by cooling them. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the performance of the PV/T collector as part of solar thermal system. Based on the developed model of PV/T system, the thermal performances of the PV/T system were studied under different parametric conditions, such water flow rates, wind speeds, various solar radiation levels and different numbers of glazing covers. The results show that when the mass flow rate increases from 0.01 kg/s to 0.1 kg/s, the temperature distribution in different hybrid PV/T collectors layers simultaneously drops down. It is also found that the thermal and electrical efficiencies significantly depend on the studied parameters.