Effects of Thermal Resistance of Encapsulation Material on the Performance of a Single Pass PV/T Air System

Abstract

-The power rating of PV panels provided by the manufacturers is not often realized in installed PV systems due different operating conditions compared to those specified by the manufacturers. In addition, the calculated outdoor performance based on the PV module temperaturemeasured on its surface is not accurate since it does not take into account the effects of the encapsulation material used. In a hybrid photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) system, understanding the effects of the encapsulants on heat transfer is important in order to predict its overall performance accurately. Enhancement of heat transfer coefficients between the various components of the PV laminate and the heat removal fluidcan be achieved through the use of encapsulants of appropriate thermal conductivity andthickness. In this study, a thermal model of a PV/T air solar collector taking into account the thermal resistance of the encapsulant material is presented. Energy balance equations for all the components of the system were formulated, coded in FOTRAN95 program and used to study the effects of the thermal resistance of the EVA adhesive used on its performance. The results indicate that both electrical and thermal performances increase for increasing thermal conductivity and decreasing thickness of the bottom EVA layer. However, the electrical efficiency increases while the thermal efficiency decreases with an increase in thermal conductivity of the top EVA layer. Key words--PV panel, PV/TSystem,Encapsula