LAPSE:2023.32991
Published Article
LAPSE:2023.32991
Performance Improvement of a CPV System: Experimental Investigation into Passive Cooling with Phase Change Materials
April 20, 2023
High temperature and overheating of photovoltaic panels lead to efficiency losses and eventual degradation. For solar PV systems, this is a significant impediment for achieving economic viability. In this study, a novel Window-Integrated Concentrated Photovoltaic (WICPV) system is proposed for window integration. This offers high (50%) transparency and is fabricated and characterised indoors at an irradiance of 1000 Wm−2. Its electrical performance is tested (a) without applied cooling (i.e., under natural ventilation) and (b) with a heat sink to accommodate passive cooling media. The results are compared to study the effects of reduction in operating temperature on system performances. The effectiveness of a sensible cooling medium (water) and two latent heat removal media, phase change materials (or PCMs, RT50 and RT28HC), is investigated. This paper reports the passive temperature regulation of this WICPV at ambient testing conditions. The results demonstrate an increase in electrical power output by (i) 17% (RT28HC), (ii) 19% (RT50), and (iii) 25 % (circulating water) compared with the naturally ventilated system. This shows that PCMs are considerably useful for thermal regulation of the WICPV. Any improvement in efficiencies will be beneficial for increasing electrical energy generation and reducing peak energy demands.
Keywords
Building-Integrated Concentrated Photovoltaic (BICPV), passive cooling, phase change materials (PCMs), RT28HC, RT50, thermal management, Window-Integrated Concentrated Photovoltaic (WICPV)
Subject
Suggested Citation
Sharma S, Sellami N, Tahir AA, Mallick TK, Bhakar R. Performance Improvement of a CPV System: Experimental Investigation into Passive Cooling with Phase Change Materials. (2023). LAPSE:2023.32991
Author Affiliations
Sharma S: Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; Environmental and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK [ORCID]
Sellami N: School of Engineering, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB10 7GJ, UK [ORCID]
Tahir AA: Environmental and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK [ORCID]
Mallick TK: Environmental and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK [ORCID]
Bhakar R: Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur 302017, India [ORCID]
Journal Name
Energies
Volume
14
Issue
12
First Page
3550
Year
2021
Publication Date
2021-06-15
Published Version
ISSN
1996-1073
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Original Submission
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PII: en14123550, Publication Type: Journal Article
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LAPSE:2023.32991
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doi:10.3390/en14123550
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Apr 20, 2023
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CC BY 4.0
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