Passive Cooling of PV Modules Using Heat Pipe Thermosiphon with Acetone: Experimental and Theoretical Study

Abstract

Featured Application: A theoretical model for photovoltaic panel with heat pipe thermosiphon to dissipate the heat produced in the panel will be useful for designers to obtain accurate insight into its cooling performance under different configurations and external conditions. The effect of heat pipe thermosiphon in reducing the operating temperature of a photovoltaic panel has been analyzed theoretically and experimentally in this paper. Copper heat pipe thermosiphon with acetone as a working fluid was used. The theoretical study involved a heat balance analysis of the panel with cylindrical heat pipe with surface contact with the panel bottom. The experimental study involved recording temperature variations, with and without a heat pipe, which had very good agreement with the theoretical results of 2.61%. Additionally, the optimum quantity of acetone was 50 mL, with a maximum reduction in panel temperature of 10 °C.