Enhancing the photovoltaic system efficiency using porous metallic media integrated with phase change material

Highlights: • The PMM-PCM matrix with active cooling enhances the performance of the PVT systems. • The PVT system's electrical efficiency is proportional to the HTF flow rate. • The thermal efficiency's optimum flow rate is not necessarily the highest. • The overall efficiency is affected by thermal more than electrical efficiency. Photovoltaic (PV) thermal systems are a good efficiency enhancement solution as they enhance the electrical efficiency of PV panels and produce thermal energy. A recent technique that causes homogeneity in the PV cell temperature and provides energy storage is the use of phase change materials. However, some types of inexpensive phase change materials available in the market, such as paraffin, have low thermal conductivity in the solid phase. This paper introduces a solution for this problem using porous metallic media (PMM) integrated with the PCM system with active cooling. This investigation was experimentally conducted using three flow rates (0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 LPM) of water as a heat transfer fluid. The comparative analysis showed that for all flow rates, the PMM-PCM system achieved a higher efficiency than that with only the PCMs. The maximum electrical efficiency reached was 23% with the flow rate of 0.4 LPM, providing the best cooling for the PV panels within the system. Regarding the thermal efficiency, the flow rate of 0.3 LPM was found to achieve a maximum thermal efficiency of 74% in the PMM-PCM system. Moreover, an optimum overall efficiency of 95% in the system was achieved at 0.3 LPM.