Staff Members - Benha University
Energy, exergy, economic, and enviroeconomic assessment of a photovoltaic module incorporated with a paraffin-metal foam composite: An experimental study
Energy • 2021
Publication Information
Authors
Mohamed S. Yousef, Mohamed Sharaf, A.S. Huzayyin
Keywords
PV cooling
Metal foam
PCM
Exergy
Environmenta
Journal
Energy
Publisher
Elsevier
Volume
238
Issue
121807
Pages
Not Available
publication.type
International
Paper Link
Open Link
Supplementary Materials
Not Available
Abstract
In this study, a paraffin/aluminum foam (AF) composite for thermal regulation of a photovoltaic (PV)
system was performed. A comparative performance evaluation of three PV systems, i.e., PV without any
modifications, PV incorporated with paraffin wax as phase change material PCM (PV-PCM), and PV
incorporated with enhanced PCM comprising AF embedded in PCM (PV-PCM/AF) was performed. Outdoor experiments were conducted in summer and winter weather conditions of Benha city, Egypt,
located at (latitude 30.466 North and longitude 31.185 East). The comparative analysis of the three PV
configurations based on electrical efficiency, exergy efficiency, energy payback time, exergoeconomic,
and enviroeconomic parameters was presented and discussed. The findings revealed that, against the
unmodified PV configuration, the electrical efficiency of PV-PCM and PV-PCM/AF systems in summer was
enhanced by 9% and 14%, respectively. While, the corresponding enhancement in winter was 3.7% and
4.8%, respectively. Also, it was found that the cost of electricity generation for PV-PCM and PV-PCM/AF
systems was 0.1165 and 0.1145 $/kWh, respectively, against 0.1162 $/kWh for the PV system. Finally, it
can be concluded that PV-PCM/AF is the most effective system based on exergy efficiency, exergy cost,
and CO2 avoidance rates.
system was performed. A comparative performance evaluation of three PV systems, i.e., PV without any
modifications, PV incorporated with paraffin wax as phase change material PCM (PV-PCM), and PV
incorporated with enhanced PCM comprising AF embedded in PCM (PV-PCM/AF) was performed. Outdoor experiments were conducted in summer and winter weather conditions of Benha city, Egypt,
located at (latitude 30.466 North and longitude 31.185 East). The comparative analysis of the three PV
configurations based on electrical efficiency, exergy efficiency, energy payback time, exergoeconomic,
and enviroeconomic parameters was presented and discussed. The findings revealed that, against the
unmodified PV configuration, the electrical efficiency of PV-PCM and PV-PCM/AF systems in summer was
enhanced by 9% and 14%, respectively. While, the corresponding enhancement in winter was 3.7% and
4.8%, respectively. Also, it was found that the cost of electricity generation for PV-PCM and PV-PCM/AF
systems was 0.1165 and 0.1145 $/kWh, respectively, against 0.1162 $/kWh for the PV system. Finally, it
can be concluded that PV-PCM/AF is the most effective system based on exergy efficiency, exergy cost,
and CO2 avoidance rates.