Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2025
07:18
Experimental System of Solar Adsorption Refrigeration with Concentrated Collector
Published on: October 18, 2017
14.6K
Cooling of a PVT System Using an Underground Heat Exchanger: An Experimental Study
Saif H Majeed1, Amar S Abdul-Zahra1, Dheya G Mutasher1
1Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Technology-Iraq, Baghdad 10001, Iraq.
ACS Omega
|August 28, 2023
Summary
This study introduces a novel photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system with an underground heat exchanger in Iraq. The PVT system significantly improved panel cooling and electrical efficiency by 127.3% under harsh weather conditions.
Area of Science:
- Renewable Energy Systems
- Thermal Engineering
- Photovoltaic Technology
Background:
- Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems are researched for enhanced performance and panel cooling.
- Effective cooling is crucial for photovoltaic panels, especially in hot climates.
- Underground heat exchangers offer a stable temperature source for cooling applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the performance of a PVT system coupled with an underground heat exchanger in Baghdad, Iraq.
- To evaluate the cooling effect and electrical efficiency enhancement of the PVT system under extreme summer conditions.
- To assess the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed system in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Main Methods:
- A PVT system with a monocrystalline PV panel and spiral heat exchanger was connected to a 3U-shaped, 21m copper tube buried 4m underground.
- The system was tested in Baghdad, Iraq, during July-August 2022, experiencing harsh weather conditions.
- Soil temperature at 4m depth was recorded, and PVT system performance was measured at a flow rate of 0.18 l/s.
Main Results:
- The underground heat exchanger site maintained a stable soil temperature of 22.5 °C at 4m depth.
- The PVT system achieved a surface temperature reduction of approximately 20 °C compared to a standalone PV panel.
- Electrical efficiency of the PVT system increased by 127.3% relative to the standalone PV system.
Conclusions:
- The implemented PVT system with an underground heat exchanger is a feasible solution for enhancing PV panel performance in hot climates.
- The system demonstrates significant improvements in both panel cooling and electrical efficiency.
- The findings suggest the proposed system is effective even under the harshest weather conditions tested.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II
3.3K
In convection, thermal energy is carried by the large-scale flow of matter. Ocean currents and large-scale atmospheric circulation, which result from the buoyancy of warm air and water, transfer hot air from the tropics toward the poles and cold air from the poles toward the tropics. The Earth’s rotation interacts with those flows, causing the observed eastward flow of air in the temperate zones. Convection dominates heat transfer by air, and the amount of available space for the airflow...
3.3K
01:14Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
360
Heat transfer between the human body and its environment occurs through four main mechanisms: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant...
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant...
360
01:14Mechanisms of Heat Transfer I
4.3K
Just as interesting as the effects of heat transfer on a system are the methods by which the heat transfer occur. Whenever there is a temperature difference, heat transfer occurs. It may occur rapidly, such as through a cooking pan, or slowly, such as through the walls of a picnic ice box. So many processes involve heat transfer that it is hard to imagine a situation where no heat transfer occurs. Yet, every heat transfer takes place by only three methods: conduction, convection, and radiation.
4.3K
01:19Mechanism of heat transfer
1.2K
Understanding heat transfer mechanisms is essential for understanding how our bodies maintain balance in different environmental conditions. When the environment is thermoneutral, the body is in a state of balance, neither using nor releasing energy to maintain its core temperature. However, when the environment is not thermoneutral, the body employs four heat transfer mechanisms to maintain homeostasis: conduction, convection, evaporation, and radiation. These mechanisms facilitate heat...
1.2K
01:27Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving
1.2K
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is exposed to temperatures ranging from -15 °C to 40 °C. At its coldest, the main span of the bridge is 1275 m long. Assuming that the bridge is made entirely of steel, what is the change in its length between these temperatures?
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in...
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in...
1.2K
01:07Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
2.3K
Refrigerators or heat pumps are heat engines operating in a reverse direction. For a refrigerator, the focus is on removing heat from a specific area, whereas, for a heat pump, the focus is on dumping heat into one particular area. A refrigerator (or heat pump) absorbs heat Qc from the cold reservoir at Kelvin temperature Tc and discards heat Qh to the hot reservoir at Kelvin temperature Th, while work W is done on the engine’s working substance.
A household refrigerator removes heat from...
A household refrigerator removes heat from...
2.3K