Comparative study on performances of a heat-pipe PV/T system and a heat-pipe solar water heating system. Issue 3 (19th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xuxin, Zhao; Huide, Fu; Jie, Ji; Hongyuan, Sun; Rui, Ma; Qixing, Wu
• Is Part Of: International journal of green energy. Volume 13:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 229
• Page End: 240
• Publication Date: 2016-02-19
• Subjects: Efficiency -- heat pipe -- photovoltaic/thermal -- simulation -- solar system; Power resources -- Research -- Periodicals; Energy industries -- Periodicals; Energy development -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1080/15435075.2014.910782
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1543-5075

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The heat-pipe solar water heating (HP-SWH) system and the heat-pipe photovoltaic/thermal (HP-PV/T) system are two practical solar systems, both of which use heat pipes to transfer heat. By selecting appropriate working fluid of the heat-pipes, these systems can be used in the cold region without being frozen. However, performances of these two solar systems are different because the HP-PV/T system can simultaneously provide electricity and heat, whereas the HP-SWH system provides heat only. In order to understand these two systems, this work presents a mathematical model for each system to study their one-day and annual performances. One-day simulation results showed that the HP-SWH system obtained more thermal energy and total energy than the HP-PV/T system while the HP-PV/T system achieved higher exergy efficiency than the HP-SWH system. Annual simulation results indicated that the HP-SWH system can heat the water to the available temperature (45°C) solely by solar energy for more than 121 days per year in typical climate regions of China, Hong Kong, Lhasa, and Beijing, while the HP-PV/T system can only work for not more than 102 days. The HP-PV/T system, however, can provide an additional electricity output of 73.019 kWh/m 2, 129.472 kWh/m 2, and 90.309 kWh/m 2 per unit collector area in the three regions, respectively.