DESIGN AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF A SOLAR PV COOLINGSYSTEM

Abstract

Solar PV systems suffer decrease in efficiency due to the increase in temperatureasthey operate. Hence, a cooling system was designed for an experimental studyof theeffects of temperature reduction on efficiency. Due to fabrication problems withthespiral collector design, a nozzle spray cooling system was used. The investigationdiscovered that, as predicted, the open circuit voltage of the solar panels rosewithirradiance and fell with temperature. The panels’ temperature was brought downbythe cooling system, increasing performance efficiency from 50.44%to 58.76%, actual efficiency from 5.8323% to 7.467%, and maximum output from 60.528Wto 70.518W. A contour of the solar panel’s temperature distribution with and without coolingwasmade for the simulation component. The panel’s maximum and minimumtemperatureswere determined to be 37.2467°C and 36.666°C, respectively, without cooling. Thepanel’s maximum and minimum temperatures with cooling were found to be 27.127°Cand 26.777°C, respectively. It should be noted, though, that the experiment’s highest temperature of 44.3°C was higher than the irradiance utilized in the simulation. It wasdiscovered that the panel’s average temperature during the cooling experiment was29.97°C at an irradiation of 738W/m2, which was lower than the temperature discoveredin the simulation. Despite its shortcomings and inconsistencies, the study offers insightful informationregarding the potential advantages of cooling systems for enhancing the effectivenessand performance of solar PV panels. The effectiveness of various cooling methods, aswell as the effects of panel ageing and wear and tear on their performance, require furtherstudy