Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector
Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collectors, sometimes known as hybrid PV/T systems or PVT, are systems that convert solar radiation into thermal and electrical energy. These systems combine a photovoltaic cell, which converts electromagnetic radiation (photons) into electricity, with a solar thermal collector, which captures the remaining energy and removes waste heat from the PV module. Photovoltaic (PV) cells suffer from a drop in efficiency with the rise in temperature due to increased resistance. Such systems can be engineered to carry heat away from the PV cells thereby cooling the cells and thus improving their efficiency by lowering resistance.[1] Although this is an effective method, it causes the thermal component to under-perform compared to a solar thermal collector. Recent research showed that photovoltaic materials with low temperature coefficients such as amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) PV allow the PVT to be operated at high temperatures, creating a more symbiotic PVT system. [2]
|
Contents
|
System types
A number of PV/T collectors in different categories are commercially available and can be divided into the following categories:
- PV/T liquid collector
- PV/T air collector
- PV/Ta Liquid and air collector
- PV/T concentrator (CPVT)
PV/T liquid collector
The basic water-cooled design uses conductive-metal piping or plates attached to the back of a PV module. A working fluid, typically water, glycol or mineral oil is then piped through these pipes. The heat from the PV cells are conducted through the metal and absorbed by the working fluid (presuming that the working fluid is cooler than the operating temperature of the cells). In closed-loop systems this heat is either exhausted (to cool it), or transferred at a heat exchanger, where it flows to its application. In open-loop systems, this heat is used, or exhausted before the fluid returns to the PV cells.[3]
PV/T concentrator (CPVT)
A concentrating system has the advantage to reduce the amount of solar cells needed. It also can get very good solar thermal performance compared to flat PV/T collectors. The main obstacles are to provide good cooling of the solar cells and a durable tracking system.
See also
References
- ^ S.A. Kalogirou, Y. Tripanagnostopoulos (30 January, 2006). These systems are most often used for domestic hot water (DHW) and electricity production
- ^ M.J.M. Pathak, J.M. Pearce and, S.J. Harrison, “Effects on Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Performance from High-temperature Annealing Pulses in Photovoltaic Thermal Hybrid Devices” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 100, pp. 199-203 (2012). arXiv.
- ^ Y. Tripanagnostopoulos, M. Souliotis, R. Battisti, A. Corrado "APPLICATION ASPECTS OF HYBRID PV/T SOLAR SYSTEMS" http://www.ecn.nl/fileadmin/ecn/units/egon/pvt/pdf/ises03_lca.pdf
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Related Videos:
Top
Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
Wikipedia on Answers.com
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector.
Read more