Numerical Analysis of the Influence of Trapezoidal Geometry in Phase Change Material Containers on Temperature Distribution in Concentrated Photovoltaic Panel Cooling

Abstract

In concentrated photovoltaic (PV) panels, the amount of waste heat generated increases due to the higher incident radiation on the panel surface, leading to a decrease in PV panel efficiency. Therefore, PV-PCM (Phase Change Material) integration is a widely used passive method to reduce and stabilize PV panel temperature. However, particularly in angled PV panels, the movement of the PCM within its container can cause uneven temperature distributions on the PV panel surface. To address this issue, this study employs a trapezoidal geometry to increase the amount of PCM and the surface area exposed to the environment in the regions where the molten PCM accumulates. Furthermore, the effects of PCM area and heat transfer coefficient to the environment on the temperature distribution of the PV panel for different trapezoidal geometries (different tilt angles and the ratio of side surfaces) were investigated. A numerical model was developed for these investigations, and this model was validated with experimental work found in the literature. The results showed that the surface temperature decreased by 5–21 K and the surface temperature uniformity improved between 10 and 44% depending on the parameter change with the use of trapezoidal geometry.