Three-dimensional numerical investigation of a hybrid low concentrated photovoltaic/thermal system

Concentrated photovoltaic/thermal hybrid collectors have received ever-increasing attention due to the simultaneous output of electric and thermal energy. For further improvement of concentrated hybrid PV/T systems, a simulation method combining the multiphysics fields is necessary to accurately analyze the optical, thermal, and electric performance. Herein, a three-dimensional numerical study has been conducted on a low concentrated photovoltaic/thermal system utilizing a heat transfer fluid as the cooling medium and a compound parabolic concentrator as the mirror field. A finite volume (FV)-CFD code has been employed to simulate the entire model, where the optical modelling is validated theoretically with the Monte Carlo ray-tracing method. The influences of employing various heatsink designs (U-type and Z-type) and coolants (water, ethylene glycol, and therminol VP-1) are numerically investigated. The economic feasibility of the hybrid PV/T system is also assessed in comparison with the standalone PV-cell. Good compatibility with the empirical data was obtained when the appropriate modelling tunings were applied. It is also shown that, on a typical day, the total energy and exergy efficiencies of the system are up to 57.66% and 7.94%, respectively. The Z-type heatsink decreases the average PV-cell temperature than the U-type design, and also the output power is slightly enhanced. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.