Computational modeling of a BIPV/T ethylene tetrafluoroethylen (ETFE) cushion structure roof

Abstract Building integrated ETFE foils are used as the absorbing structure in the solar energy targeted applications. These foils as a building transparent material have been drawing much more attention for the past decades. In addition, integration of amorphous photovoltaic cells with these ETFE foils is taken into account due to the low production cost and its resistance to high operating temperatures. In the present study, a Building integrated Photovoltaic thermal (BIPV/T) ETFE cushion roof was numerically modeled and the thermal and electrical performances of this system were obtained in two cases: the cushion with the steady state mass flow and the cushion with the air pressure regulator system. Verification of the modeling was performed by comparing the model's results with the available experimental data in the literature. The main strength of the present modeling is consideration of the air pressure regulator system in the modeling process which has not been studied yet. The result of the present study showed that the present model predicts the BIPV/T ETFE cushion performance with a reasonable accuracy and can predict the system performance under different operating conditions. The results also showed that in case of the cushion with the steady state mass flow, the power generation is 15% higher than that of the cushion with the pressure regulator system. However, the cushion with the steady state mass flow has a low net output generated power due to the high consumed power of the blower.

[1]  W. Swinbank.  Long‐wave radiation from clear skies , 1963 .

[2]  Maria Kolokotroni,et al.  ETFE foil cushions in roofs and atria , 2001 .

[3]  Zerrin Yilmaz,et al.  An approach for energy conscious renovation of residential buildings in Istanbul by Trombe wall system , 2008 .

[4]  Tjerk H. Reijenga,et al.  Photovoltaics in an architectural context , 2004 .

[5]  Kwang Ho Lee,et al.  An experimental study on the annual surface temperature characteristics of amorphous silicon BIPV window , 2013 .

[6]  Takahiko Miyazaki,et al.  Energy savings of office buildings by the use of semi-transparent solar cells for windows , 2005 .

[7]  Ji Jie,et al.  Modeling of a novel Trombe wall with PV cells , 2007 .

[8]  David E. Carlson,et al.  Temperature dependence of amorphous silicon solar cell PV parameters , 2000, Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 2000 (Cat. No.00CH37036).

[9]  Ricardo Rüther,et al.  The potential of building-integrated (BIPV) and building-applied photovoltaics (BAPV) in single-family, urban residences at low latitudes in Brazil , 2012 .

[10]  P. Braun,et al.  Energetic contribution potential of building-integrated photovoltaics on airports in warm climates , 2009 .

[11]  Jianhui Hu,et al.  Experimental studies on summer performance and feasibility of a BIPV/T ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) cushion structure system , 2014 .

[12]  F. Koch,et al.  The temperature dependence of the absorption coefficient of porous silicon , 1996 .

[13]  Zhao Zhiqiang,et al.  Energy and exergy analysis of different Trombe walls , 2016 .

[14]  Tin-Tai Chow,et al.  A Review on Photovoltaic/Thermal Hybrid Solar Technology , 2010, Renewable Energy.

[15]  Jie Ji,et al.  Thermal and hydraulic analysis on a novel Trombe wall with venetian blind structure , 2016 .

[16]  Christophe Menezo,et al.  Simulation Study of a Naturally Ventilated Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Envelope , 2015 .

[17]  William Gerard Hurley,et al.  A thermal model for photovoltaic panels under varying atmospheric conditions , 2010 .

[18]  Yegao Qu,et al.  A thermal model for amorphous silicon photovoltaic integrated in ETFE cushion roofs , 2015 .

[19]  Masahito Ohno.  Structural Design of the Japan Pavilion in Shanghai Expo , 2010 .

[20]  Luis Pérez-Lombard,et al.  A review on buildings energy consumption information , 2008 .

[21]  A. D. Jones,et al.  A thermal model for photovoltaic systems , 2001 .

[22]  G. N. Tiwari,et al.  Energy and exergy analysis of a building integrated semitransparent photovoltaic thermal (BISPVT) system , 2012 .

[23]  Paul Fazio,et al.  Evaluation of energy supply and demand in solar neighborhood , 2012 .

[24]  T. Mcnelley,et al.  Temperature dependence of , 1993, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A.