Desgin and Performance Optimization of A Novel Photovoltaic Thermal System Based on Air-Finned Cooling: An Analytical Study

This numerical study aims to optimize the performance of a photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) component in a “solar energy + air-source heat pump” cogeneration system to promote green and low-carbon energy transition. For forced air-cooled PV/T components, the finite volume method was used to simulate fin structures and layouts. First, four fin shapes (circular, elliptical, square, and rectangular) were compared. At 3 m/s, the circular fin gave the lowest silicon layer temperature (T_Si = 42.28 °C). Using response surface methodology with T_Si and average Nusselt number (Nu) as targets, the optimal fin diameter and arrangement were identified. Maximizing electrical efficiency (19.17%) favors T_Si as target, whereas maximizing thermal efficiency (75.52%) favors Nu. To mitigate non-uniform X-direction temperature distribution, seven non-uniform layouts were proposed. Case 8 (alternating arrangement) further reduced T_Si to 40.63 °C (0.15 °C lower than the response-surface optimum) and achieved an electrical efficiency of 19.75%. Numerical evaluation confirms that the non-uniform fin layout outperforms traditional uniform designs, offering a new technical solution for solar-air source heat pump applications.