Citation

Harmailil, Ihsan Okta and Sultan, Sakhr M. and Fudholi, Ahmad and Mohammad, Masita and Tso, C.P. (2025) A new cooling method for photovoltaic module using U-shape aluminum fins and circular copper tubes: An indoor experiment and economic study. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 72. p. 106396. ISSN 2214157X

Text 1-s2.0-S2214157X25006562-main.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (9MB)

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) performance is highly sensitive to temperature increase, which can lead to efficiency loss and accelerate degradation. Cooling solutions can help to improve the performance of the PV by reducing its temperature and increasing the output power. However, some PV cooling systems, like fins, are not suitable, especially for applications where ambient temperature and solar irradiance values are high. Hence, this paper provides a solution for the existing problem by proposing a new design which is an integration of fins and tubes in a single cooling unit to improve the performance under extreme conditions (high ambient temperatures and solar irradiance values). The proposed design incorporates U-shape aluminum fins and circular copper tubes which are directly attached beneath the PV module, to enhance the heat transfer process. An indoor experiment is conducted to study the performance of the proposed system by using a solar simulator which can produce five different solar irradiance values (400 W/m2, 500 W/m2, 600 W/m2, 700 W/m2, and 800 W/m2). Using the solar simulator, the new cooling system was evaluated for temperature reduction and electrical efficiency enhancement compared to the PV reference (no cooling) and a PV with fins only. Experimental results indicate that the proposed cooling system reduces the PV surface temperature by 14.9 % compared to PV without a cooling system, and yielding a 6.7 % improvement in the output power. On the other hand, the PV with fins shows poor performance in terms of temperature reduction and electrical performance in indoor operating conditions. It is shown that the PV with fins only has increased the temperature by 1.7 and the output power has dropped by 1.14 W compared to the PV reference. An economic analysis using Simple Payback Period (SPP) indicates that combined U-shape aluminum fins and copper tubes has a payback period of 5.07 years. The findings suggest that this innovative design can effectively mitigate overheating, maintaining high electrical efficiency in extreme environmental conditions.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Photovoltaic module, Electrical performance, Temperature reduction, Passive, Active, Combined cooling
Subjects:	T Technology > TR Photography > TR925-1050 Photomechanical processes
Divisions:	Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET)
Depositing User:	Ms Suzilawati Abu Samah
Date Deposited:	01 Jul 2025 01:44
Last Modified:	01 Jul 2025 01:44
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/14201

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