An Experimental Study on Simultaneous Use of Phase Change Material and Wind Stream to Increase Electrical Efficiency of Photovoltaic Module

In recent years, generation of electricity through photovoltaic power plants has developed rapidly. The availability of sunlight and the appropriate return on investment are two important factors in the impressive growth of photovoltaic (PV) power plants. Unfortunately, increase in PV cell temperature is one the main defects of them and it has a significant negative effect on the electrical efficiency of PV panels. In this paper, using paraffin as phase change material (PCM) on the performance of photovoltaic cells has been investigated experimentally. The material has melting point of about 58˚C. Also, the effect of airflow at two different velocities of 2 and 4 km/h in presence of paraffin have been tested, too. To have a better management on performing the tests, a solar simulator was used, so that the solar irradiation and wind stream were supplied by means of a projector and an industrial blower, respectively. Results showed 13-16˚C decrease in PV temperature for the three modified cases, in comparison with the conventional one. Moreover, the effect of mentioned temperature reduction on both electrical efficiency and output power were also studied. Finally, the environmental effects of commissioning a 10-kW PV power plant were checked by using RETScreen software. Accordingly, the annual reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission is estimated for all considered cases.