Numerical analysis of passive cooled ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic cell using optimal heat spreader design

Oussama Rejeb; Ali Radwan; Essam M. Abo-Zahhad; Chaouki Ghenai; Ahmed A. Serageldin; Mostafa Ahmed; Ahmed A.H. El-Shazly; Maamar Bettayeb; O. Abdelrehim

Case Studies in Thermal Engineering (Dec 2020)

Numerical analysis of passive cooled ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic cell using optimal heat spreader design

Oussama Rejeb,
Ali Radwan,
Essam M. Abo-Zahhad,
Chaouki Ghenai,
Ahmed A. Serageldin,
Mostafa Ahmed,
Ahmed A.H. El-Shazly,
Maamar Bettayeb,
O. Abdelrehim

Affiliations

Oussama Rejeb: Sustainable Energy Development Research Group, Research Institute for Sciences and Engineering (RISE), University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Corresponding author.
Ali Radwan: Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, 35516, Egypt; Mansoura University Nanotechnology Center, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
Essam M. Abo-Zahhad: Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Energy Engineering, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt; Corresponding author. Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Energy Engineering, Aswan University, Aswan 81528, Egypt. Tel.: +20 100 925 9889/+20 100 077 5533
Chaouki Ghenai: Sustainable Energy Development Research Group, Research Institute for Sciences and Engineering (RISE), University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Ahmed A. Serageldin: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shoubra Faculty of Engineering, Benha University, Egypt
Mostafa Ahmed: Department of Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
Ahmed A.H. El-Shazly: Chemical and Petrochemicals Engineering Department, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt
Maamar Bettayeb: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Center of Excellence in Intelligent Engineering Systems (CEIES), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
O. Abdelrehim: Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, 35516, Egypt; Mansoura University Nanotechnology Center, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, 35516, Egypt

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 22
p. 100757

Abstract

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In the high concentrator photovoltaic (HCPV) systems with solar concentration ratios up to 2000 Suns, significant heat is generated in the used solar cell layer. This high generated heat requires an efficient and smart cooling technique to keep it operating at a safe operating temperature. In this paper, another ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic (UHCPV) system with a smaller cell area of 1 mm2 operating at a high solar concentration ratio (CR) up to 10,000 Suns is proposed. This smaller area requires a simple passive cooling technique even at high CR. The optimal dimensions of a passive cooling method using heat spreader are defined. A 3D thermal model for the multijunction solar cell with the heat spreader coupled with the multi-objective genetic optimization algorithm is used to define the optimal heat spreader dimensions . The model is validated with the results in the literature. The model is used to estimate the cell temperature generated electric power, and cell efficiency at different wind speed, ambient temperature, solar radiation, heat spreader length, thickness, and CR. The heat spreader dimensions were optimized for CR = 6000 suns, the optimal thickness and length were 2 mm and a of 47.5 mm, respectively. These dimensions are enough for the safe operation of the UHCPV at CR of 6000 Suns. As a case study, for a UHCPV module with a total number of cells of 10 by 10, the generated power is around 319 W at CR of 10,000 Suns. At the same condition, the monocrystalline silicon solar cell in the PERSEID SOLAR company can generate a maximum power of 144.9 W/m2. For the same area, for the UHCPV module, the generated electric power is around 319 W for 1 m2 of the module. Therefore, around 120% increase in the power can be accomplished with the use of the UHCPV module. In the UHCPV module, the total area of the cell is around 1 cm by 1 cm. Therefore, the module cost could be very low.

Published in Case Studies in Thermal Engineering

ISSN: 2214-157X (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Technology: Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/case-studies-in-thermal-engineering/

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