LAPSE:2023.33498
Published Article
LAPSE:2023.33498
Mathematical Modelling of a System for Solar PV Efficiency Improvement Using Compressed Air for Panel Cleaning and Cooling
Marcus King, Dacheng Li, Mark Dooner, Saikat Ghosh, Jatindra Nath Roy, Chandan Chakraborty, Jihong Wang
April 21, 2023
The efficiency of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is greatly reduced by panel soiling and high temperatures. A mechanism for eliminating both of these sources of inefficiencies is presented by integrating solar PV generation with a compressed air system. High-pressure air can be stored and used to blow over the surface of PV panels, removing present dust and cooling the panels, increasing output power. A full-system mathematical model of the proposed system is presented, comprised of compressed air generation and storage, panel temperature, panel cleaning, and PV power generation. Simulation results indicate the benefit of employing compressed air for cleaning and cooling solar PV panels. For a fixed volume of compressed air, it is advantageous to blow air over the panels early in the day if the panel is soiled or when solar radiation is most abundant with the highest achievable flow rate if the panel is clean. These strategies have been shown to achieve the greatest energy captures for a single PV panel. When comparing the energy for air compression to the energy gain from cleaning a single PV over a two-week period, an energy ROI of 23.8 is determined. The system has the potential to eliminate the requirement for additional manual cleaning of solar PV panels.
Keywords
compressed air, mathematical modelling, Renewable and Sustainable Energy, solar photovoltaics
Suggested Citation
King M, Li D, Dooner M, Ghosh S, Roy JN, Chakraborty C, Wang J. Mathematical Modelling of a System for Solar PV Efficiency Improvement Using Compressed Air for Panel Cleaning and Cooling. (2023). LAPSE:2023.33498
Author Affiliations
King M: School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Li D: School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK [ORCID]
Dooner M: School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK [ORCID]
Ghosh S: Advanced Technology Development Centre, IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India [ORCID]
Roy JN: Advanced Technology Development Centre, IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
Chakraborty C: Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
Wang J: School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK [ORCID]
Journal Name
Energies
Volume
14
Issue
14
First Page
4072
Year
2021
Publication Date
2021-07-06
Published Version
ISSN
1996-1073
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Original Submission
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PII: en14144072, Publication Type: Journal Article
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LAPSE:2023.33498
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doi:10.3390/en14144072
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Apr 21, 2023
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