CFD Analysis in the Design of Diffuser for Air Cooling of Low-Concentrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (LCPV/T) Solar Collector

Abstract

The CFD analysis for design of diffuser for air cooling of low-concentrated photovoltaic (PV) solar collector is carried out. PV panel is made up of silicon, a semiconductor, which have the capacity to convert dispersed as well as concentrated solar radiation into electricity directly. The problem encountered with silicon PV panel is overheating due to excessive solar radiation and high ambient temperature. Overheating drastically lowers the efficiency of solar panel. The proper cooling system is required to remove excessive heat and to increase the efficiency of PV panel. One method of cooling PV panel is the supply of uniformly distributed air along the panel. The diffuser is used for uniform distribution of air. Different shapes of diffusers with and without deflector plates are analysed for uniform distribution of air using commercial software ANSYS FLUENT. The CFD analysis revealed that the diffuser with curved sidewalls and deflector plates distribute the air more uniformly than the diffuser with straight sidewalls.