Research on the Thermal Characteristics of a Thermal Photovoltaic Solar Module with a Concentrator and a Detector with a Triangular Profile

Abstract

In this work, the new photovoltaic modules, including the photodetectors and concentrators, providing the effective transformation of solar energy into thermal and electric energy are considered. The creation of the algorithm of the design calculation of the thermo-photo-electric module with the set power parameters with the use of laws of geometrical optics, and also heat and mass exchange are mathematically modelled. When using similar modules, at the heart of which there is a paraboloidal concentrator and a photodetector with the heat carrier’s channel system, the creation of the cogeneration installations for the development of electricity and heat is possible. In the course of the research, a solar module with a parabolic trough concentrator and a line photodetector with a triangular profile, which is supplied with the heat carrier channel system, is developed for the first time and the physical and mathematical models are developed, based on which, the following aspects are developed: the design data of the module; distribution of sunlight concentration across the width of the photodetector; dependences of the thermodynamic values of heat conductivity, the viscosity of the heat carrier (water) on temperature and their ratio from the distribution of the heating of the heat carrier across the profile of the photodetector; distribution of the temperature of the heating of the heat carrier; distribution of the heating energy of the heat carrier; the time of the heat carrier’s heating; and the heating of the heat carrier’s mass per unit of time; the thermal power of the heat carrier and the thermal efficiency of the module (coefficient of efficient use of power of solar radiation), which adequately reflect real parameters of the functioning of the manufactured SB solar modules. It is shown that the thermal efficiency (and, respectively, other power parameters) of a module with a photodetector with a triangular profile at any distribution of the illumination exceeds the thermal efficiency of a module with a photodetector with a rectangular profile. The model samples, developed by such a technique are investigated at the corresponding stands, and are tested in natural conditions. The solar module with the asymmetric parabolic trough concentrator with a line photodetector of a triangular profile of the concentrated radiation with the heat carrier channel system ensures the water heating temperature (ranging from 38 to 60°С) with the reduction of water consumption (from 11.1 to 5.5 l/h), at an illumination of ~850 W/ m², and the thermal efficiency changes within 49–65%.