Investigation of the effects of jet plate reflector on the performance of bifacial PVT solar air collector

This study presents an experimental investigation that examines the impact of a radiant panel reflector on the performance of a bifacial PVT solar air collector. Three different bifacial PV panels were utilized in the study, each having a packing factor of 0.22, 0.33, and 0.66. The solar simulator was set at two different irradiance levels, namely 700 and 900 W/m2, while the mass flow rate was monitored within the range of 0.014 to 0.035 kg/s. The temperature difference between the outlet and inlet of the collector is directly proportional to the solar irradiance and the packing factor of the PV module. However, it is inversely proportional to the mass flow rate. The thermal efficiency of the system improves as the mass flow rate, packing factor of the PV module, and solar irradiance increase. The temperature of the PV panel decreases with higher mass flow rates, but increases with greater packing factors and solar irradiance. The electrical efficiency of the collector rises with increasing mass flow rate, while the packing factor of the PV module decreases with higher solar irradiance. The highest thermal efficiency recorded for the collector is 51.3%, achieved at a mass flow rate of 0.035 kg/s and a solar irradiance of 900 W/m2, with a packing factor of 0.66. Similarly, the maximum electrical efficiency of the collector is 10.81%, obtained at a mass flow rate of 0.035 kg/s and a solar irradiance of 700 W/m2, with a packing factor of 0.66.