Wind Turbulence Impact on Solar Energy Harvesting

Abstract

Increasing global energy demand and the need for cleaner energy have accelerated renewable energy deployment. The conversion efficiency of sunlight to renewable energy decreases as the temperature of a photovoltaic (PV) cell, inside a PV panel, increases. To harvest the solar energy and convert it to high-quality electricity at a high efficiency, atmospheric wind could be utilized to boost the efficiency of PV panels by lowering their cell temperature. This study investigated the influence of devices that create turbulence in the air flowing over a PV panel, in order to increase the convective heat loss, decrease cell temperature, and consequently increase the panel efficiency and power output. To decouple the various aspects of atmospheric wind on heat convection, a controlled environment was employed: a heated flat plate in a wind tunnel incorporating a largely uniform cross-wind obstruction. Velocity and heat transfer at various points were measured to delineate the underlying mechanisms of heat transfer enhancement in a systematic manner. A discrete rib design resulted in the greatest overall enhancement of heat transfer coefficient (∼30%). Comparing the various types of turbulence-inducing devices, the heat transfer coefficient was most related to the turbulence intensity and the velocity normal to the panel surface.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fama Fouladi

Fama Fouladi received her Ph.D. degree from University of Windsor under the supervision of Dr. Ting and Dr. Henshaw in 2017. Her research during Ph.D. focused on the effect of different turbulence promoters on enhancing convective heat transfer from photovoltaic panels.

Paul Henshaw

Paul Henshaw is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Windsor. He conducted research in solar energy in 1984 and now this is his main research interest.

David S.-K. Ting

David S-K. Ting is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering at the University of Windsor. He worked on combustion and turbulence before venturing into renewable energy. He is the founder of the Turbulence and Energy Laboratory at the University of Windsor. He supervises students on a wide range of research projects, fundamentally, his love is still faithfully on flow turbulence.

Steve Ray

Steve Ray is the General Manager of Essex Energy Corporation and has been a licensed P. Eng. for over 20 years. Throughout his diverse career, and experience as a Corporate BlackBelt, he has gained proficiencies in both the energy and manufacturing sectors.