Cooling PV panels by free and forced convections: Experiments and comparative study

Tarek Ibrahim; Farouk Hachem; Mohamad Ramadan; Jalal Faraj; Georges El Achkar; Mahmoud Khaled; Tarek Ibrahim; Farouk Hachem; Mohamad Ramadan; Jalal Faraj; Georges El Achkar; Mahmoud Khaled

doi:10.3934/energy.2023038

AIMS Energy

2023, Volume 11, Issue 5: 774-794. doi: 10.3934/energy.2023038

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Research article

Cooling PV panels by free and forced convections: Experiments and comparative study

1.
Energy and Thermo-Fluid group, Lebanese International University LIU, Bekaa, Lebanon
2.
Energy and Thermo-fluid Group, The International University of Beirut BIU, Beirut, Lebanon
3.
Center for Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED), Gulf University for Science & Technology, Kuwait

Received: 28 May 2023 Revised: 25 August 2023 Accepted: 28 August 2023 Published: 13 September 2023

This work concerns a comparative experimental study of cooling PV panels by free and forced convection and using finned plates. To this end, four prototypes are considered: the first one with a PV panel alone without cooling techniques, the second one consists of a PV panel with a rectangular finned plate attached to its rear surface and cooled by free convection, a third prototype consists of a PV panel cooled by forced convection by three axial-flow fans and a fourth prototype consists of a PV panel with a rectangular finned plate attached to its rear surface and cooled by forced convection by three axial-flow fans. Results showed an increase of 3.01% in the efficiency of the PV panel with finned plate under forced convection, an increase of 2.55% in the efficiency of the PV panel with finned plate under free convection and an increase of 2.10% in the efficiency of the PV panel under forced convection. Economic and environmental studies are also conducted and estimations of savings per year and amount of carbon dioxide emission reductions are provided.
- PV panel,
- cooling,
- free convection,
- forced convection,
- comparative experimental study
Citation: Tarek Ibrahim, Farouk Hachem, Mohamad Ramadan, Jalal Faraj, Georges El Achkar, Mahmoud Khaled. Cooling PV panels by free and forced convections: Experiments and comparative study[J]. AIMS Energy, 2023, 11(5): 774-794. doi: 10.3934/energy.2023038

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Abstract

This work concerns a comparative experimental study of cooling PV panels by free and forced convection and using finned plates. To this end, four prototypes are considered: the first one with a PV panel alone without cooling techniques, the second one consists of a PV panel with a rectangular finned plate attached to its rear surface and cooled by free convection, a third prototype consists of a PV panel cooled by forced convection by three axial-flow fans and a fourth prototype consists of a PV panel with a rectangular finned plate attached to its rear surface and cooled by forced convection by three axial-flow fans. Results showed an increase of 3.01% in the efficiency of the PV panel with finned plate under forced convection, an increase of 2.55% in the efficiency of the PV panel with finned plate under free convection and an increase of 2.10% in the efficiency of the PV panel under forced convection. Economic and environmental studies are also conducted and estimations of savings per year and amount of carbon dioxide emission reductions are provided.

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