Effect of mass flow rate on the thermo-electrical performance of hybrid PVT system with curved-groove absorber

Photovoltaic (PV) panels used for converting sunlight into electrical energy offer several drawbacks, such as poor efficiency, occupying a larger area, and dependency, on environmental conditions. One of the major factors impacting the PV panel performance is the panel surface temperature. High surface temperature leads to lower electrical efficiency of PV panels. Therefore, the researchers have suggested the benefits of hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system that contributes to heat generation along with controlling the panel temperature. A more appropriate and practical mathematical model is presented in this research to examine the impact of mass flow rate on the effectiveness of an air-cooled hybrid PVT system. Each component of the system is considered for the energy balance equations, and a MATLAB code is written to solve the resultant system of equations. Performance parameters such as electrical and thermal efficiency, PV, and output temperature were recorded with variations in mass flow rate. The outcomes portray that the PV and output temperature falls while thermal, electrical, and overall efficiency improves with a rising mass flow rate. Further, the effectiveness of the PVT system with a curved-groove absorber is compared with the V-groove absorber-based PVT system. At a mass flow rate of 0.2 kg/s, the electrical, thermal, and overall efficiency is 2.23%, 1.24%, and 1.87% higher for the PVT system with a curved-groove absorber in comparison with the system with a V-groove absorber in the channel.