Theoretical analyses of the performance of a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal solar system with a mathematical and physical model, entropy generation minimization and entransy theory

In this paper, the performance of a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal solar system is numerically analyzed with a mathematical and physical model. The variations of the electrical efficiency and the thermal efficiency with the operation parameters are calculated. It is found that the electrical efficiency increases at first and then decreases with increasing concentration ratio of the sunlight, while the thermal efficiency acts in an opposite manner. When the velocity of the cooling water increases, the electrical efficiency increases. Considering the solar system, the surface of the sun, the atmosphere and the environment, we can get a coupled energy system, which is analyzed with the entropy generation minimization and the entransy theory. This is the first time that the entransy theory is used to analyze photovoltaic/thermal solar system. When the concentration ratio is fixed, it is found that both the minimum entropy generation rate and the maximum entransy loss rate lead to the maximum electrical output power, while both the minimum entropy generation numbers and the maximum entransy loss coefficient lead to the maximum electrical efficiency. When the concentrated sunlight is not fixed, it is shown that neither smaller entropy generation rate nor larger entransy loss rate corresponds to larger electrical output power. Smaller entropy generation numbers do not result in larger electrical efficiency, either. However, larger entransy loss coefficient still corresponds to larger electrical efficiency.