Photovoltaic–thermoelectric temperature control using a closed-loop integrated cooler

The Closed-Loop Integrated Cooler (CLIC) is a novel technique deployed on experimental apparatus to accurately measure, monitor and control the temperature of optoelectronic devices. Demonstrated here within a Concentrator Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric (CPV-TE) hybrid device, the thermoelectric module was used as a solid state sensor and heat pump in order to control the operational temperature for a triple-junction solar cell. The technique was used to achieve stable, reproducible and repeatable Standard Test Conditions (STC) of 25oC cell temperature, with 1000W/m2 irradiance and AM1.5G spectrum. During testing with Secondary Optical Element (SOE) optics in a solar simulator, the CLIC enabled accurate temperature control of the CPV cell. This would otherwise be unfeasible due to the spectral, reflective and diffusive effects of the SOE optics. The CLIC was used to obtain temporal and spatial constant temperature of the CPV-TE hybrid receiver during Current-Voltage measurement. This method highlights the future potential of the CLIC for accurate temperature control of optoelectronic devices both during testing and in future semiconductor device applications where temperature control is essential to performance or lifetime

Outdoor performance of a reflective type 3D LCPV system under different climatic conditions

Concentrating sunlight and focusing on smaller solar cells increases the power output per unit solar cell area. In the present study, we highlight the design of a low concentrating photovoltaic (LCPV) system and its performance in different test conditions. The system essentially consists of a reflective type 3.6× cross compound parabolic concentrator (CCPC) designed for an acceptance angle of ± 30°, coupled with square shaped laser grooved buried contact (LGBC) silicon solar cells. A heat exchanger is also integrated with the PV system which extracts the thermal energy rejected by the solar cells whilst maintaining its temperature. Indoor characterization is carried out to evaluate the system performance under standard conditions. Results showed a power ratio of 3.12 and an optical efficiency of 73%. The system is placed under outdoor environment on a south facing roof at Penryn, UK with a fixed angular tilt of 50°. The high angular acceptance of the system allows collection of sunlight over a wider range. Results under different climatic conditions are presented and compared with a non-concentrating system under similar conditions. On an average, the LCPV system was found to collect an average of 2.54 times more solar energy than a system without the concentrator

Commercial photovoltaic system design for Cardiff City Hall

The rooftops of Cardiff City Hall were surveyed to establish potential areas for commercial-scale photovoltaic (PV) system design. The orientation and tilt angles of suitable unshaded roof areas were measured for accurate PV system simulation. The performance of two PV technologies, polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) and heterojunction with intrinsic thin layers (HIT) was investigated. From the analysis of simulation, experimental, environmental and economic data, HIT was found to be the best-performing PV technology for system installation. Superior performance of HIT under diffuse sunlight conditions, typical of the UK climate, was demonstrated. Additionally, the maximum power temperature coefficient, verified during experimental work, was lower than the p-Si alternative (−0·28 against −0·50%/°C). Electricity demand data for City Hall were analysed and 8·1% of the annual electricity demand (solar fraction) could be supplied by an 88 kWp HIT PV system. The HIT PV system modelled would significantly improve the energy performance of Cardiff City Hall, avoiding >40 000 kg carbon dioxide emissions annually. The levelised cost of energy from one array (B, £0·11/kWh) was less than the current day tariff rate for grid import (£0·1173). The economic and environmental benefits of well-designed high-efficiency PV systems in the UK at commercial scale are also demonstrated

Design and characterization of hybrid III–V concentrator photovoltaic–thermoelectric receivers under primary and secondary optical elements

Lattice-matched monolithic triple-junction Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) cells (InGa(0.495)P/GaIn(0.012)As/Ge) were electrically and thermally interfaced to two Thermoelectric (TE) Peltier module designs. An electrical and thermal model of the hybrid receivers was modelled in COMSOL Multiphysics software v5.3 to improve CPV cell cooling whilst increasing photon energy conversion efficiency. The receivers were measured for current-voltage characteristics with the CPV cell only (with sylguard encapsulant), under single secondary optical element (SOE) at x2.5 optical concentration, and under Fresnel lens primary optical element (POE) concentration between x313 and x480. Measurements were taken in solar simulators at Cardiff and Jaén Universities, and on-sun with dual-axis tracking at Jaén University. The hybrid receivers were electrically, thermally and theoretically investigated. The electrical performance data for the cells under variable irradiance and cell temperature conditions were measured using the integrated thermoelectric module as both a temperature sensor and as a solid-state heat pump. The performance of six SOE-CPV-TE hybrid devices were evaluated within two 3-receiver strings under primary optical concentration with measured acceptance angles of 1.00o and 0.89o, similar to commercially sourced CPV modules. A six-parameter one-diode equivalent electrical model was developed for the multi-junction CPV cells with SOE and POE. This was applied to extract six model parameters with the experimental I-V curves of type A receiver at 1, 3 and 500 concentration ratios. Standard test conditions (1000W/m2, 25oC and AM1.5G spectrum) were assumed based on trust-region-reflective least squares algorithm in MATLAB. The model fitted the experimental I-V curves satisfactorily with a mean error of 4.44%, and the optical intensity gain coefficient of SOE and POE is as high as 0.91, in comparison with 0.50-0.86 for crossed compound parabolic concentrators (CCPC). The determined values of diode reverse saturation current, combined series resistance and shunt resistance were similar to those of monocrystalline PV cell/modules in our previous publications. The model may be applicable to performance prediction of multi-junction CPV cells in the future

Six-parameter electrical model for photovoltaic cell/module with compound parabolic concentrator

It is known that compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) can improve electrical performance of a photovoltaic (PV) flat-plate system. However, a lumped electrical model of a PV cell/module with CPC for assessing performance under different operating conditions is unavailable. In this paper, a six-parameter based model is developed and applied to a PV cell, two PV models with CPC, and a PV module with 2D asymmetric CPC (trough). For validation, CPC with a single PV cell and two CPC modules with 2 × 2 and 9 × 9 PV cells are fabricated and measured in an indoor laboratory under standard test conditions. Results show that the optimised algorithm precisely predicts the six model parameters. A sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the importance of each parameter in the model. Ideality factor, circuit current and reverse saturation current are found to be the most dominant factor, while shunt resistance is the least important with CPC gain coefficient and series resistance are in between. Transient performance of a PV cell with CPC under variable outdoor climate conditions is also examined by coupling optical, thermal and electrical effects

A scaling law for monocrystalline PV/T modules with CCPC and comparison with triple junction PV cells

Scaling laws serve as a tool to convert the five parameters in a lumped one-diode electrical model of a photovoltaic (PV) cell/module/panel under indoor standard test conditions (STC) into the parameters under any outdoor conditions. By using the transformed parameters, a current-voltage curve can be established under any outdoor conditions to predict the PV cell/module/panel performance. A scaling law is developed for PV modules with and without crossed compound parabolic concentrator (CCPC) based on the experimental current-voltage curves of six flat monocrystalline PV modules collected from literature at variable irradiances and cell temperatures by using nonlinear least squares method. Experiments are performed to validate the model and method on a monocrystalline PV cell at various irradiances and cell temperatures. The proposed scaling law is compared with the existing one, and the former exhibits a much better accuracy when the cell temperature is higher than 40 °C. The scaling law of a triple junction flat PV cell is also compared with that of the monocrystalline cell and the CCPC effects on the scaling law are investigated with the monocrystalline PV cell. It is identified that the CCPCs impose a more significant influence on the scaling law for the monocrystalline PV cell in comparison with the triple junction PV cell. The proposed scaling law is applied to predict the electrical performance of PV/thermal modules with CCPC