Boosting electrical generation of a photovoltaic array by thermal harvest from p-Si cells: An experimental and theoretical study

Abstract

An experimental and theoretical study was investigated on heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of a photovoltaic p-Si cells array. The effect of three different type of collector geometries (Model A, B, and C) on thermal efficiency and pressure drop were considered. The theoretical model using a simple energy balance was well matched with experimental data within 11 %. Electrical generation is modeled by PVT in conjunction with an Organic Rankine Cycle. The results showed that the efficiency of model B boosts of up to 49.6% with the lowest pressure drop.