Annual Thermal Management of the Photovoltaic Module to Enhance Electrical Power and Efficiency Using Heat Batteries
Prasannaa Poongavanam,
Aneesh A. Chand,
Van Ba Tai,
Yash Munnalal Gupta,
Madhan Kuppusamy,
Joshuva Arockia Dhanraj,
Karthikeyan Velmurugan,
Rajasekar Rajagopal,
Tholkappiyan Ramachandran,
Kushal A. Prasad,
Shyamal Shivneel Chand,
Shivnesh Raj,
Kabir A. Mamun
Affiliations
Prasannaa Poongavanam
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Annamalai University, Chidambaram 608002, Tamil Nadu, India
Aneesh A. Chand
School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
Van Ba Tai
Faculty of Technology, Dong Nai Technology University, Bien Hoa 76000, Dong Nai, Vietnam
Yash Munnalal Gupta
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, 99 Moo 9 Phitsanulok-Nakhonsawan Road, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
Madhan Kuppusamy
GOONWORLD Corporate Research Institute, Dong-gu Inovalley 26 Road 9-115, Daegu 11051, Republic of Korea
Joshuva Arockia Dhanraj
Centre for Automation and Robotics (ANRO), Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Padur, Chennai 603103, Tamil Nadu, India
Karthikeyan Velmurugan
Center for Alternative Energy Research and Development, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Rajasekar Rajagopal
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
Tholkappiyan Ramachandran
Department of Physics, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box No. 15551, United Arab Emirates
Kushal A. Prasad
School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
Shyamal Shivneel Chand
School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
Shivnesh Raj
School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
Kabir A. Mamun
School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
Several studies state that phase change material (PCM) improves the electrical power and efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) module. To find the suitable PCM for tropical climatic conditions, multi-PCMs are examined simultaneously with melting temperatures of 31 °C, 35 °C, 37 °C, and 42 °C. In this study, PCM containers are integrated behind the PV module with a thickness of 50 mm. The performance of the multi PV-PCMs is monitored year-round and compared with PV-noPCM. The experimental results show that the selected four PCMs performed the cooling process autonomously in all the climates, such as PCM with a melting temperature of 37 °C and 42 °C enhanced the higher cooling rate in summer, and the same PCMs failed to achieve a higher cooling rate in winter. The lowest temperature drop was noted for pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons due to the low irradiance. On the other hand, the highest temperature drop of 16.33 °C is observed for pre-summer (March) and 15.7 °C, and 17.14 °C for summer (April) as compared to PV-noPCM. The results of the present investigation highlight the requirement for choosing the proper PCM melting temperature based on optimal year-round performance. Further, it is recommended that a single PCM melting temperature for cooling the PV modules year-round in tropical climates is inappropriate, and instead, a cascaded structure with different PCM melting temperatures is recommended.
