Simulation numérique des performances énergétiques et exergétiques des systèmes hybrides photovoltaïques et thermoélectriques en présence de matériau à changement de phase

Abstract

The transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy mix is essential to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce our environmental footprint. This involves reducing our dependence on fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy sources, which do not emit gases during their use. They offer an effective means of reducing CO2 emissions. Solar energy has quickly emerged as a prominent renewable energy source due to its abundance and lack of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the use of this energy source through photovoltaic systems has low energy production efficiencies (around 15%). Due to the low energy production efficiency of these systems, a new photovoltaic (PV) system integrated with a phase change material (PCM) and a thermoelectric (TE) module has been proposed. The system is designed to increase electricity production by optimally attaching the PCM and TE module to the back of the PV cell. The phase change material will recover the heat lost by the PV cell and transfer it to the thermoelectric generator at its hot junction, creating a high temperature gradient. Through the Seebeck effect, the electrical performance of the system could be enhanced. To study the performance of the proposed PV-PCM-TE hybrid system, a numerical model focused on the temperature of the solar cells, efficiency, and power output of the system was established using Comsol Multiphysics environment and compared to the operation of the PV-TE system under the same conditions. The results showed that the PV-PCM-TE system exhibited better performance with a 4.12% increase compared to the PV-TE system, and the maximum temperature of the PV cell was reduced from 200°C to 140°C.