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Enhancing PV Modules Performance Using L-Shaped Aluminum Fins


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15866/ireme.v17i2.22782

Abstract


One of the key problems in running photovoltaic (PV) panels is overheating generated by excessive solar radiation and high air temperature; as a result, overheating reduces the panels' efficiency. This necessitates cooling the backside of the PV panel using an appropriate cooling method. Several cooling methods are cited in the literature; among these methods is using fins with certain geometries. This study used L-shaped aluminum inline fins fixed to the rear of the panel as a natural cooling method. Four monocrystalline PVs were placed next to each other, the first model acts as a reference unit, and the fins were firmly attached and aligned onto the rear of each of the other panels, with fixed fin spacing on the backside of each panel. Thermocouples were attached to the rear of each module at several locations to measure the temperature of each module on an hourly basis, and power-dissipated resistors were used to record each PV's current and voltage. All measured parameters were stored using GL 220 midi logger for further analysis. In comparison to the base PV unit, it was found that the best performance of the PV was obtained when the fins were fixed at 2 cm spacing, with a backside temperature drop of 9.2 °C, PV efficiency increase was 8.9 %, and the increase in power produced was 7.9 W. This was followed by the PV with 4 cm fin spacing, and that with 6 cm spacing was the least performance. In general, it was found that all modified PV panels are of better performance than the base PV module.
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Keywords


Aluminum Fins; PV Performance; PV Cooling; Solar Energy

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References


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