Performance Analysis and Experimental Study of a Kind of Thin and Light Photovoltaic/Thermal Collector

ObjectivesThe demand for energy in outdoor work and survival is increasing, and there are some significant shortcomings in the existing conventional energy supply methods, such as the need to carry a large amount of fuel for conventional generators and heavy weight of cells. Solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) technology can effectively solve the problem of lack of energy for outdoor survival and field work. However, most of the existing PV/T collectors are rigid structures with large weight and are not easy to carry.MethodsA light and thin PV/T module based on the combination of a Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) thin film battery and a piece of capillary network were proposed. The energy collection performance of the module and the impact of water flow rate on the photoelectric and photothermal conversion efficiency of the module were studied experimentally.ResultsUnder the typical Shanghai climate conditions, the all-day electrical efficiency and thermal efficiency of the module are 13.04% and 22.50%, respectively. Under experimental conditions with an average irradiance of 760 ‍W/m², the optimal energy collection performance of this PV/T is achieved when the water flow rate is 2.1 ‍L/min. The cooling water in the capillary network can effectively reduce the cell temperature (by 10 ℃) and improve the energy utilization efficiency (by 23.94%).ConclusionsThe module has the characteristics of high power density, light weight and flexibility, and can be used for energy supply during outdoor work and survival, providing a new idea for the design of outdoor energy equipment.