Photovoltaic panel cooling using ground source energy: CFD simulation

Abstract

The performance of solar panels is significantly affected by high temperatures, leading to various cooling methods being employed to enhance their efficiency. This study utilizes comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with Ansys Fluent 2023 R1 software to evaluate the effectiveness of cooling photovoltaic (PV) panels using ground source energy in Kirkuk city, northern Iraq (35° 28′ N - E. 44.39). A 3-D model was employed to analyze the thermal behavior of the PV panel over 10 h (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The simulation demonstrates that the proposed cooling method achieved an impressive temperature reduction of approximately 28 % compared to conventional cooling methods. Moreover, the PV panel with ground-source cooling consistently outperformed the PV-only setup, showing a noteworthy improvement of approximately 6.5 % in power output, reaching a maximum of around 88 W. Examination of velocity and temperature distribution contours revealed that ambient air drawn in as hot air gradually dissipated its heat to the surrounding soil and bricks as it traversed through underground pipes, resulting in a significant reduction in temperature. This cooling process effectively enhanced the overall performance of the PV panel.

Keywords

• PV panel temperature
• CFD
• Ground source
• PV solar cooling