Performance investigation of an iron scrap filled tube-plate PV/T system

In this paper, an iron scrap filled tube-plate Mgt system was designed and manufactured. Its annual performance was simulated and the simulation results were verified by experimental data. The simulation results showed that the annual output of electricity was 792.6 MJ, and the annual heat collection was 2558.3 MJ under the standard annual meteorological data of Tianjin, China. Simulation results demonstrated that the annual average generation efficiency was 15.5%, and the annual average heat collection efficiency was 49.1%. Moreover, the electrical power generation and heat collection efficiencies increased by 13.9% and 10.8% after being filled with iron scraps, respectively. Subsequently, the energy, economic, and environmental benefits of the new tube-plate PV/T system were compared with those of the traditional tube-plate PV/T system, photovoltaic system, and solar collector system. The simulation results also showed that the annual total energy savings and CO2, SO2, and NOx emission reductions of the new tube-plate PV/T system were superior in comparison with those of the other three systems, while its dynamic payback period was higher than that of the solar collector system but lower than that of the other two systems. (C) 2020 International Energy Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.