Simulation of a novel hybrid solar photovoltaic/wind system to maintain the cell surface temperature and to generate electricity

Summary A hybrid solar photovoltaic/wind system is proposed and investigated theoretically. The hybrid system is based on attaching a converging inclined duct beneath the photovoltaic (PV) panels and directed upward after the end of the panels. A wind turbine is attached at the exit of the converging duct. The converging duct will capture wind currents that at its inlet and enhances these current by buoyancy effect created by the rejected heat from the panels. The mixed convection air flow is used in cooling the PV panels and in generating electricity by driving the wind turbine at the duct exit. A mathematical model is proposed to describe the system hydrodynamic and thermal behavior. In addition to the mixed convection case, the pure free convection case, when there is no wind speed, has been tested. The design of the wind duct capturing system is not included in this study, which should be carefully manufactured to eliminate the reversed flow. The simulation results show that the integration of both systems not only enhances the performance of PV cell due to the effective cooling but also generates more electric power from the inserted turbine. At low wind speeds, it is found that the ducting system helps more in cooling the panels rather than driving the wind turbine. At these low wind speeds, the buoyancy effect may have a significant effect. However, at high wind speeds, the ducting system acts in both cooling the panels and driving the turbine, and at these high speeds, the buoyancy effect is insignificant.