Experimental and Numerical Applications to Increase Thermal Performance of a Photovoltaic Solar Panel

Authors : Murat Catalkaya

Pages : 226-244

Doi:10.62520/fujece.1517038

View : 80 | Download : 54

Publication Date : 2025-06-26

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Recently, the impact of global warming has intensified interest in renewable energy sources as alternatives to fossil fuels. Among these resources, solar energy stands out due to its potential. Photovoltaic (PV) panels play a crucial role in converting solar energy into electrical energy. However, one of the biggest challenges in generating electricity with PV panels is that approximately 80% of the energy from the panel surface is transformed into heat. This temperature increase on the PV panel surface negatively affects its efficiency, making it essential to find effective cooling solutions. In this study, we developed numerical analysis methods to investigate the effects of monocrystalline PV panels on passive cooling under the climatic conditions of Kahramanmaraş. First, we performed experimental investigations to assess the performance of the photovoltaic solar panels. The experiments revealed an average panel surface temperature of 43.54°C, with solar radiation and panel power measuring 785 W/m² and 36.32 W, respectively. We then employed ANSYS Fluent software for numerical analysis. The experimental data were utilized to determine the most suitable solution network structure for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses, resulting in a CFD model of the PV panel with a surface temperature error of just 2.44%. The CFD model was used to examine how different fin sizes and distances between fins affected cooling on the PV panel surface. The CFD analysis indicated that increasing the distance between the fins by approximately 40% (5 mm) led to a reduction of about 4°C in fin tip temperature compared to the original fin geometry
Keywords : Monokristal güneş paneli, Kanatçık, HAD, PV panel, Isı transferi

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