2023ICERD8-C24 -- Numerical Analysis of The Thermal Performance of Photovoltaic Panel in Hot Weather Regions using PCM Materials

The aim of this study is to investigate the practical application of a PCM cooling system and assess how its geometric and thermophysical parameters impact the thermal behavior and efficiency of PV cells. A numerical modeling approach using the finite element method is employed to predict how the PCM properties affect the cooling performance of the system and the power output of the solar module. The thermal analysis takes into consideration the nonlinearity and transient nature of the problem. The boundary conditions in a hot climate zone, where temperatures reach approximately 50 °C, include cyclic variations in solar irradiation and ambient temperature over time. Through optimization of the PCM design variables such as melting temperature, thermal conductivity, and thickness, the cell temperature can be reduced by approximately 20%. This optimization also leads to an increase of about 8% in efficiency and power output. These findings suggest that utilizing a passive cooling system based on PCM can effectively enhance the power output of a solar PV module. The developed integrated model provides insights into the thermal behavior of the PV module and facilitates the selection of an appropriate PCM for practical implementation.