Optimization with genetic algorithm of a PV/T air collector with natural air flow and a case study

Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems refer to the integration of photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies into one single system. In a PV/T system, both useful heat energy and electricity are produced. This paper presents the results of performance optimization of a PV/T system with natural air flow operation. A theoretical model is developed and validated against experimental data and there has been good agreement between the predicted results and measured data were achieved. The validated model was then used to study the effect of the channel length, channel depth, and channel width on thermal and electrical efficiencies, PV cooling, and the outlet air temperature. Additionally, fast and elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) method was applied to find the optimum values of geometric characteristics of the studied PV/T system to achieve higher thermal and electrical efficiencies.

[1]  Mehran Ameri,et al.  Experimental investigation and modeling of a direct-coupled PV/T air collector , 2010 .

[2]  Maurizio Cellura,et al.  Life cycle assessment of a solar PV/T concentrator system , 2011 .

[3]  T. Unny,et al.  Free convective heat transfer across inclined air layers , 1976 .

[4]  Jorge Aguilera,et al.  A new approach for sizing stand alone photovoltaic systems based in neural networks , 2005 .

[5]  Said Farahat,et al.  Exergetic optimization of a solar photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) air collector , 2011 .

[6]  Kamaruzzaman Sopian,et al.  Performance analysis of photovoltaic thermal air heaters , 1996 .

[7]  S. Klein.  Calculation of Flat-Plate Collector Loss Coefficients , 1975, Renewable Energy.

[8]  Goldberg,et al.  Genetic algorithms , 1993, Robust Control Systems with Genetic Algorithms.

[9]  H. P. Garg,et al.  Study of a hybrid solar system—solar air heater combined with solar cells , 1991 .

[10]  Bk Bala,et al.  Optimal design of a PV-diesel hybrid system for electrification of an isolated island—Sandwip in Bangladesh using genetic algorithm , 2009 .

[11]  G. N. Tiwari,et al.  Life cycle cost analysis of HPVT air collector under different Indian climatic conditions , 2008 .

[12]  Swapnil Dubey,et al.  Thermal modeling of a combined system of photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) solar water heater , 2008 .

[13]  Rodolfo Dufo-López,et al.  Design and control strategies of PV-Diesel systems using genetic algorithms , 2005 .

[14]  de Dw Douwe Vries.  Design of a photovoltaic/thermal combi-panel , 1998 .

[15]  John H. Holland,et al.  Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems: An Introductory Analysis with Applications to Biology, Control, and Artificial Intelligence , 1992 .

[16]  Kenneth Alan De Jong,et al.  An analysis of the behavior of a class of genetic adaptive systems. , 1975 .

[17]  David E. Goldberg,et al.  Genetic Algorithms in Search Optimization and Machine Learning , 1988 .

[18]  G. Tiwari,et al.  A comparison study of energy and exergy performance of a hybrid photovoltaic double‐pass and single‐pass air collector , 2009 .

[19]  Soteris A. Kalogirou,et al.  Hybrid PV/T solar systems for domestic hot water and electricity production , 2006 .

[20]  T. Hatanaka,et al.  RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOVOLTAIC / THERMAL HYBRID SOLAR POWER GENERATION SYSTEM , 1990 .

[21]  Kalyanmoy Deb,et al.  A fast and elitist multiobjective genetic algorithm: NSGA-II , 2002, IEEE Trans. Evol. Comput..

[22]  Hans S. Rauschenbach,et al.  Solar Cell Array Design Handbook: The Principles and Technology of Photovoltaic Energy Conversion , 1980 .

[23]  Ji Jie,et al.  A numerical and experimental study on a heat pipe PV/T system , 2011 .

[24]  Y. Tripanagnostopoulos,et al.  Air-cooled PV/T solar collectors with low cost performance improvements , 2007 .

[25]  Y. Tripanagnostopoulos,et al.  Performance improvement of PV/T solar collectors with natural air flow operation , 2008 .

[26]  Kamaruzzaman Sopian,et al.  Performance of a double pass photovoltaic thermal solar collector suitable for solar drying systems , 2000 .

[27]  M. Abdolzadeh,et al.  Prediction of the optimum slope and surface azimuth angles using the Genetic Algorithm , 2011 .

[28]  Wei Zhou,et al.  A novel optimization sizing model for hybrid solar-wind power generation system , 2007 .

[29]  José L. Bernal-Agustín,et al.  Efficient design of hybrid renewable energy systems using evolutionary algorithms , 2009 .

[30]  L. W. Florschuetz.  Extension of the Hottel-Whillier model to the analysis of combined photovoltaic/thermal flat plate collectors , 1976 .

[31]  S. M. Shaahid,et al.  Optimal sizing of battery storage for stand-alone hybrid (photo-voltaic + diesel) power systems , 2005 .

[32]  B. Sandnes,et al.  A photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collector with a polymer absorber plate. Experimental study and analytical model , 2002 .

[33]  C. H. Cox,et al.  Design considerations for flat-plate-photovoltaic/thermal collectors , 1985 .

[34]  Zahari Ibarahim,et al.  A validated model of naturally ventilated PV cladding , 2000 .

[35]  John W. Mitchell,et al.  Natural convection heat transfer characteristics of flat plate enclosures , 1979 .

[36]  Soteris A. Kalogirou,et al.  Photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) collectors: A review , 2007 .

[37]  T. Bergene,et al.  Model calculations on a flat-plate solar heat collector with integrated solar cells , 1995 .

[38]  E. C. Kern,et al.  Combined photovoltaic and thermal hybrid collector systems , 1978 .

[39]  Mariano Sidrach-de-Cardona,et al.  A general multivariate qualitative model for sizing stand-alone photovoltaic systems , 1999 .

[40]  Zoltan J. Kiss,et al.  A hybrid amorphous silicon photovoltaic and thermal solar collector , 1986 .

[41]  Jai Prakash,et al.  Transient analysis of a photovoltaic-thermal solar collector for co-generation of electricity and hot air/water , 1994 .

[42]  H. P. Garg,et al.  EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDIES ON A PHOTOVOLTAIC/THERMAL HYBRID SOLAR COLLECTOR WATER HEATER , 1990 .

[43]  Kalyanmoy Deb,et al.  Muiltiobjective Optimization Using Nondominated Sorting in Genetic Algorithms , 1994, Evolutionary Computation.

[44]  Kostas Kalaitzakis,et al.  Methodology for optimal sizing of stand-alone photovoltaic/wind-generator systems using genetic algorithms , 2006 .

[45]  Hans S. Rauschenbach,et al.  Solar-cell array design handbook , 1980 .

[46]  Toshihiro Tsuji,et al.  Characteristics of a turbulent natural convection boundary layer along a vertical flat plate , 1988 .