Study on phase change material and its appropriate thickness for controlling solar cell module temperature

ABSTRACT

Appropriate thickness of phase change material (PCM) to control the solar cell module temperature for increasing power generation was carried out. A PCM, RUBITHERM RT42, with the melting point at 42°C and a thickness of 50 mm was used to absorb heat at the back of a 250 W_p polycrystalline solar cell. A numerical enthalpy method to predict the melting phenomenon of the PCM, RT35, 42, 47, and 55, and the solar cell module temperature was developed. The results agreed well with those of the experimental data. It was found that the maximum generated power was around 167 W in comparison with 147 W of the normal unit at a solar radiation of 867 W/m². The daily power outputs were 0.707 and 0.642 kWh, respectively. From the simulation under Chiang Mai climate, for RT42 PCM, it was found that the appropriate thickness was around 40 mm.

KEYWORDS:

• Solar cell
• phase change material
• enthalpy method
• explicit finite difference method

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy, Chiang Mai University and the Development of Alternative Energy and Its Applications in Green Communities Project under the National Research council of Thailand, for the experimental facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Attakorn Asanakham http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5529-6126

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy, Chiang Mai University and the Development of Alternative Energy and Its Applications in Green Communities Project under the National Research council of Thailand.