Alinia A M, Sheikholeslami M
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Renewable energy systems and nanofluid applications in heat transfer Laboratory, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 8;15(1):1336. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-85161-5.
This study investigates a comprehensive enhancement strategy for photovoltaic (PV) panel efficiency, focusing on increasing electrical output through the integration of parabolic reflectors, advanced cooling mechanisms, and thermoelectric generation. Parabolic reflectors are implemented in the system to maximize solar irradiance on the PV panel's surface, while a specialized cooling system is introduced to regulate temperature distribution across the silicon layer. This cooling system consists of a finned duct filled with paraffin (RT35HC) and enhanced with SWCNT nanoparticles, which improve the thermal properties of the paraffin, facilitating more effective heat dissipation. The PV module is also integrated with a TEG (thermoelectric generator) to capture excess thermal energy and convert it into additional electrical power, allowing for a more efficient overall system. To simulate the heat flux introduced by the reflectors, SolTrace software was employed, while the unsteady, three-dimensional thermal behavior of the system was analyzed using ANSYS FLUENT. Simulated results demonstrated that, with the cooling system in place, the PV efficiency (η) improves by approximately 16.46% in clean conditions. However, dust accumulation on the panel significantly impacts performance, reducing η by around 46.48% after 60 min. The inclusion of fin structures further optimizes the system, boosting overall efficiency by approximately 6.77% in clean conditions and 3.78% under dust-affected conditions. Additionally, thermal efficiency for the clean state increased by about 8.47% due to the fins. Notably, the combined effects of parabolic reflectors, fin-enhanced cooling, and TEG integration yield an electrical output power approximately 2.94 times greater than that of a PV panel without any reflector or cooling modifications.
本研究探讨了一种用于提高光伏（PV）板效率的综合增强策略，重点是通过集成抛物面反射器、先进的冷却机制和热电发电来增加电力输出。在系统中采用抛物面反射器，以最大化光伏板表面的太阳辐照度，同时引入一种专门的冷却系统来调节硅层的温度分布。该冷却系统由一个填充有石蜡（RT35HC）并添加了单壁碳纳米管（SWCNT）纳米颗粒的翅片管道组成，这些纳米颗粒改善了石蜡的热性能，有助于更有效地散热。光伏模块还与一个热电发电机（TEG）集成，以捕获多余的热能并将其转化为额外的电力，从而实现更高效的整体系统。为了模拟反射器引入的热通量，使用了SolTrace软件，同时使用ANSYS FLUENT分析了系统的非稳态三维热行为。模拟结果表明，在有冷却系统的情况下，在清洁条件下光伏效率（η）提高了约16.46%。然而，面板上的灰尘积累会显著影响性能，60分钟后η降低约46.48%。翅片结构的加入进一步优化了系统，在清洁条件下整体效率提高了约6.77%，在受灰尘影响的条件下提高了3.78%。此外，由于翅片的作用，清洁状态下的热效率提高了约8.47%。值得注意的是，抛物面反射器、翅片增强冷却和TEG集成的综合效果产生的电力输出功率约为未进行任何反射器或冷却改进的光伏板的2.94倍。
