Performance Optimization of Water-Cooled Concentrated Photovoltaic System

Abstract

In this paper, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model is developed to predict the thermal and electrical performance of a water-cooled concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system. Based on the good agreement between the numerical results and experimental data from literature, an attempt was made to improve this system performance. Indeed, as the developed model is able to predict the thermal behavior of the different system components, many hot spots were detected in the cell module. In order to avoid this disadvantage while promoting solar cell cooling, the number of water cooling pipes of the CPV module was first increased and then a rectangular channel was employed. Numerical simulation results indicate the potential of the different modified systems for reducing these hot spots and the CPV module temperature, thus providing increased electrical and thermal efficiencies. The optimum design, which presents a solar cell temperature of 315.15 K and respectively a thermal and combined (thermal plus electrical) efficiency of 74.2% and 83.5%, is also evaluated.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Monia Chaabane

Monia Chaabane is a Ph.D. student at UHTIP (Unit of Heat and Thermodynamics of Industrial Processes) in the NESM (National Engineering School of Moastir), Monastir, Tunisia. She received in 2010 a diploma of engineer in energy from the National Engineering School of Monastir, then in 2010 a diploma of master in energy from the same school. She is currently preparing her thesis and she is working on solar energy conversion using concentrating systems.

Hatem Mhiri

Hatem Mhiri is a professor of thermal sciences at the University Monastir, Tunisia. He received his diploma of doctor-engineer from the University of Paris 7 and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Tunis. He has been teaching in the Energy Department of the NESM (National Engineering School of Moastir) since 1989; he then joined the UHTIP (Unit of Heat and Thermodynamics of Industrial Processes) and he is currently working on heat and mass transfer problems.

Philippe Bournot

Philippe Bournot is a professor of fluid mechanics at the University of Aix-Marseille, France. He received his M.Sc. degree and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Marseille. He has been teaching in the Mechanical Department of the UNIMECA in the Institute of Mechanics of Marseille. His research contributions were in the field of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations and fluid mechanics problems at the University Institute of Industrial Thermal Systems. He is currently working on fluid dynamics andexperimental physics.