Estimation of power output and thermodynamic analysis of standard and finned photovoltaic panels

ABSTRACT

This study deals with the estimation of power output and also thermodynamic analysis of two different photovoltaic panels. One of the panels is a standard photovoltaic module without fins (SPV), and the other one is a photovoltaic module with fins (FPV). First, a multi-layer feed-forward neural network structure is designed to estimate the daily power produced by photovoltaic modules. Furthermore, energy and exergy analyses were carried out to compare the performance of SPV and FPV panels. According to the thermodynamic analysis results using the experimental data obtained for two days (July 3, 2020 and August 4, 2020), it was calculated that the energy efficiency increased by a maximum of 8.77% and the exergy efficiency increased by a maximum of 25.9% in the FPV panel compared to the SPV panel. Moreover, considering the data obtained for each day during three months (July, August, and September), the total energy production increase in the FPV panel is approximately 6.7% compared to the SPV panel.

KEYWORDS:

• Photovoltaic
• passive cooling
• fin
• energy analysis
• exergy analysis
• prediction
• artificial neural network

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ugur Akyol

Ugur Akyol was born in 1972 in Erzurum, Turkey. He completed his undergraduate education at Atatürk University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, in Erzurum, Turkey. As a faculty member in the academic staff, he continues to work in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tekirdağ Namik Kemal University, Çorlu Faculty of Engineering in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, Turkey. He has academic studies and publications on heat transfer, thermodynamics and drying processes.

Dinçer Akal

Dinçer Akal was born in 1969 in Lüleburgaz, Kırklareli, Turkey. He completed his undergraduate education at Trakya University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, in Edirne, Turkey. As a faculty member in the academic staff, he continues to work in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Trakya University Faculty of Engineering in Edirne, Turkey. He has academic studies and publications on heat transfer and drying processes.

Ahmet Durak

Ahmet Durak was born in 1987 in Hayrabolu, Tekirdağ, Turkey. He completed his undergraduate education at Trakya University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, in Edirne, Turkey. As a vocational school member in the academic staff, he continues to work in motor vehicles and Transport Technologies program at Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Hayrabolu Vocational School in Hayrabolu, Tekirdağ, Turkey. He has academic studies and publications on artificial neural networks and drying processes.