A novel FFNN-AHO hybrid predictive model for enhancing the performance of jet-cooled PVT system

Abstract

Photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems are common in the conversion of solar energy to electrical and thermal energy. The performance of such systems depends on the environmental conditions in which these systems are applied. This paper presents a parametric study of a jet-cooling PVT system with a staggered distribution of the jets. A feedforward neural network (FFNN) is proposed as a novel predictive model for analyzing the characteristics of the PVT system and its thermal and electrical performance. Moreover, a novel optimization algorithm called archerfish hunting optimizer (AHO) is applied to obtain the optimal structure and elements of the proposed FFNN. The PVT system variables considered as inputs to the FFNN-AHO model are flow rate, wind speed, solar irradiance, and ambient temperature. The average temperature of the PV reaches a maximum of 45.84 ºC, and the maximum temperature un-uniformity reaches to 3.59 ºC. The studied PVT system achieved maximum electrical, thermal, and overall efficiencies of 14.23%, 54.43%, and 68.1%, respectively. Moreover, the results demonstrate that the FFNN-AHO hybrid model provides highly accurate PVT system performance prediction. The correlation coefficient between the actual and predicted data is close to 1, indicating a strong correlation and confirming the reliability and effectiveness of the FFNN-AHO model.