Exergy performance of a reversed circular flow jet impingement bifacial photovoltaic thermal (PVT) solar collector

• Main Authors: Ishak, M.A.A.B., Ibrahim, A., Fazlizan, A., Fauzan, M.F., Sopian, K., Rahmat, A.A.
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2023
• Online Access: http://scholars.utp.edu.my/id/eprint/37373/; https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85165542224&doi=10.1016%2fj.csite.2023.103322&partnerID=40&md5=d0ef825b1ace0646dae1cf0d72c7d1cc

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. © 2023 The Authors