Numerical analysis of a multi-channel active cooling system for densely packed concentrating photovoltaic cells

• Published in: Energy conversion and management 2018-04, Vol.161, p.172-181
• Main Authors: Dong, Jun, Zhuang, Xiaoru, Xu, Xinhai, Miao, Zhihuai, Xu, Ben
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cell efficiency; Cooling; Cooling rate; Densely packed CPV; Energy dissipation; Flow rates; Flow velocity; Heat; Heat dissipation; Heat distribution; Inlet flow; Irradiance; Manifolds; Multi-channel manifold; Numerical analysis; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaics; Solar cells; Solar energy; Solar irradiance; Temperature; Temperature distribution; Thermal resistance
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2018.01.081

[Display omitted] •A novel T-shape manifold was studied for cooling densely packed CPV.•Double group channel pattern is better than single group channel.•The thermal resistance is lower than 1.3 cm2·K/W.•Transient analysis considering varied solar irradiance was reported. The efficiency of concentrating photovoltaic cells (CPVs) is highly affected by the cell temperature. The main problems for the cooling devices are insufficient heat dissipation and uneven heat distribution. In this study, a novel cooling manifold with multi-channels for densely packed CPVs were proposed and numerical investigated. The effects of coolant type, inlet flow rate and channel dimensions on the cooling performance of the manifold heat sink device were examined. The influence of solar irradiance was also investigated at four solar terms in Shenzhen, China. The results show that great cooling performance and temperature distribution uniformity can be achieved by the novel cooling manifold. Thermal resistance of the studied manifold is also lower than those reported in the literature.