Vortex generators as a passive cleaning method for solar PV panels

Abstract

This work discusses the numerical investigation of dust deposition behaviour on solar PV panels. Moreover, installing vortex generators (VGs) as a passive cleaning method on the PV panels is introduced and analysed. Multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to predict the influence of VGs on both the air flow fields and the dust deposition on the basis of the environmental properties of Cairo, Egypt. The dust deposition reduction is predicted for different dust particle sizes and for different VGs sizes to find the optimum VG size that causes the highest reduction. It is found that installing VGs is effective for dust particles that are smaller than 50 µm. The results show that installing VGs will result in a deposition reduction of about 35%. It is concluded that installing VGs is effective in reducing the dust deposition when wind direction is from north, south, east, or west.

Keywords

• solar pv panels
• cfd
• dust deposition
• passive cleaning
• vortex generators
• cairo