Experimental Energy Analysis of Unglazed and Glazed Air-based Photovoltaic/Thermal Collectors Using Phase Change Material Capsules
نویسندگان
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Higher Education Complex of Bam, Bam, Iran
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Higher Education Complex of Bam, Bam, Iran
3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran
4 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran
doi
10.5829/ijee.2026.17.03.01چکیده
This experimental study presents a comprehensive energy analysis of a novel air-based Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) system in the glazed and unglazed configurations. A key innovation lies in the integration of unique phase change material (PCM) capsules for thermal energy storage and PV module cooling, enabling efficient heat exchange with the ambient environment. The research experimentally investigates the critical impact of glazing and varying mass flow rates on PV temperature, and the system’s electrical, thermal, and overall efficiencies. This study demonstrates that glazed PV/T-PCM systems consistently achieve significantly higher thermal efficiencies (up to 84.69%) and outlet air temperatures (peaking at 34−36 °C), primarily due to reduced heat losses. Conversely, unglazed configurations yield higher electrical current (peak ∼8A) and electrical efficiencies (up to 10.08%) due to lower operating temperatures and the absence of optical losses. While increasing mass flow rate effectively reduces PV and air temperatures, its impact on electrical current is negligible. Despite the electrical performance advantage of unglazed systems, the glazed air-based PV/T system with PCM capsules achieves a substantially higher overall energy efficiency (reaching 94.37%), primarily driven by its superior thermal output. This highlights the substantial impact of glazing on the electrical and thermal energy performance of PV/Ts.
