Analysis of concentrating photovoltaic thermal management performance under different filling conditions in MF-PCM radiator

Abstract

Concentrating photovoltaic (PV) systems have significant potential for promoting low-carbon emissions. However, high temperatures can compromise system safety, highlighting the need for effective cooling devices. Metal foam (MF) enhances the cooling capacity of phase change radiators, but it is costly when fully filled. This study investigates the effects of different metal foam filling conditions in MF-PCM radiator (seven filling ratios: 100 %, 90 %, 80 %, 75 %, 70 %, 60 %, and 50 %; five filling positions of pure PCM regions: top, upper-middle, middle, lower-middle, and bottom regions) on thermal management performance (average temperature and electrical efficiency, as well as temperature uniformity of photovoltaic cells). The goal is to optimize the metal foam filling to maintain performance while reducing production costs. The results indicate that a filling rate of 75 % effectively combines PCM's natural convection with the high thermal conductivity of metal foam, significantly reducing metal foam usage without compromising radiator performance. Furthermore, positioning the pure PCM region in the middle-upper region achieves optimal thermal management performance. Compared to the top region, the average photovoltaic cell temperature shows no significant change, while temperature uniformity improves by 27.08 %, ensuring a more uniform temperature distribution. Therefore, when the metal foam filling rate of 75 % combined with the middle-upper pure PCM region placement substantially reduces production costs without significantly impacting thermal management performance.