Exergy performance of a reversed circular flow jet impingement bifacial photovoltaic thermal (PVT) solar collector
Muhammad Amir Aziat Bin Ishak, Adnan Ibrahim, Ahmad Fazlizan, Mohd Faizal Fauzan, Kamaruzzaman Sopian, Muhammad Aqil Afham Rahmat
Abstract
The primary limitation of photovoltaic thermal (PVT) technologies is the adverse effect of solar irradiance-induced heat absorption. In order to enhance the efficiency of the system, it is essential to incorporate a cooling mechanism. The utilization of a reversed circular flow jet impingement (RCFJI) was implemented as a cooling mechanism for a bifacial PVT solar collector. This study aims to analyze the exergy efficiency of a RCFJI bifacial PVT solar collector. An indoor experiment was conducted using a solar simulator with a solar irradiance of 500–900W/m2 and a mass flow rate of 0.01–0.14 kg/s. The findings revealed that the highest photovoltaic exergy attained was 47.2W under solar irradiance of 900W/m2 and a mass flow rate of 0.14 kg/s. Meanwhile, the highest thermal exergy attained was 9.67W under 900W/m2 solar irradiance and 0.14 kg/s mass flow rate. Overall, the exergy efficiency attained a maximum value of 12.64% under 900W/m2, while the lowest exergy efficiency observed was 12.25% under 500W/m2. In addition, the optimal operational mass flow determined was 0.06 kg/s. The findings indicate that the optimal performance of the RCFJI bifacial PVT solar collector is achieved through higher exergy efficiency, which signifies a reduced requirement for input energy. Consequently, more energy can be harnessed.