Efficiency improvement of air-cooled photovoltaic modules utilizing copper heat dissipators

Abstract

During the photovoltaic conversion of solar panels, heat is generated, increasing the temperature of the photovoltaic cell, and reducing its efficiency. This phenomenon results when a percentage of the solar radiation is not absorbed by the cells, causing the cells to heat up. The current study included a numerical analysis of employing an air-cooled heat dissipator to enhance the cooling of photovoltaic (PV) panels. The proposed heat dissipator was constructed as a copper plate with cylindrical ribs which were placed behind the PV panel. Numerical simulations were achieved in ANSYS-Fluent software, for 3D model, in forced convection and turbulent flow. The simulations were carried out at three different mass flow rates (0.03, 0.045, and 0.061 kg/s) and a temperature of 35°C under 500 W/m2 solar radiation. The results indicated that increasing flow velocity enhanced heat transfer by convection, resulting in a reduction in temperature and an improvement in the panel's electrical efficiency.