Effect of Changing the Water Flow Rate on the Efficiency of Hybrid PV/T Uncovered Collectors without Glasses: Numerical Study

Abstract

The flat-plate collector is one of the most frequent types of collectors because it is simple to manufacture and it is relatively inexpensive in comparison to other collectors. The primary objective of this work is to improve the collector's efficiency, which can be accomplished by increasing the heat transfer quantitatively. This can be accomplished by increasing the efficiency of the collector. In this research employs hybrid photovoltaic panels through electrical generation and, on the other hand, takes advantage of the lost heat, which has reduced efficiency to useful heat, by transporting them through fluid and benefiting from them through industrial and domestic applications. The model was studied numerically by ANSYS computational code, where simulations were carried out on CFD and steady state thermal, as well as the effect of solar radiation, at a value of 10, on the layer of photovoltaic cells. Besides, several values of flow rate (0.02, 0.025, and 0.03) were used and compared. The current findings show that the efficiency of the current panel under consideration increased significantly, and the value of flow of 0.03 was the optimal value that led to obtaining suitable efficiency and a relatively acceptable water temperature.