Numerical simulation of PV/T air collector with gradually expanding and shrinking channels

Abstract

CFD technology isused to simulate the PV/T air collector with gradually expanding and shrinking channels, and thegradually expanding and shrinking channels have influence on the temperature of the heat absorbing plate and the temperature outlet air of the PV/T air collector is analyzed.The resultshowsthat the expanding and shrinking channels have adverse effectson the massairflow in the collector,causing the temperature of the heat absorption plate to rise.Increasing the mcan effectively reduce the temperature of the heat absorption plate and enhancethe photoelectricefficiency of the system,and thetemperatureof air outlet will be enhanced.However, themassflowhas greater influence on the outlet temperature, and the increase of the mass flowmakes the outlet temperature decreasemore obvious. As the air mass flow increases, the temperature difference between m=0.0081and m=0.0169will increase. When the massflow is 0.0029kg/s, the temperature difference is 1.69℃; when the massflow is 0.0169, the temperature difference is 2.35℃.