การออกแบบระบบหลอเย็นสําหรับแผงเซลลแสงอาทิตย

The Modeling Design of Cooling Collectors for the Photovoltaic Cells

ผูวิจัย นิคม ผึ่งคํา

สาขาวิชาฟสิกส มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร
อาจารยที่ปรึกษาวิทยานิพนธ อาจารย ดร.ภราดร ภักดีวานิช
ภาควิชาฟสิกส คณะวิทยาศาสตร มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร
ผูชวยศาสตราจารย ดร.ยุทธนา ฏิระวนิชยกุล
ภาควิชาฟสิกส คณะวิทยาศาสตร มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร

บทคัดยอ
งานวิ จั ย นี้ มี วั ต ถุ ประสงค ที่ จะศึ ก ษาหาแนวทางในการออกแบบและสร า งอุ ป กรณ ล ด
อุณหภูมิของแผงเซลลแสงอาทิตย เนื่องจากอุณหภูมิของแผงเซลลแสงอาทิตยที่เพิ่มขึ้น จะทําใหประสิทธิ
ภาพการทํางานของเซลลแสงอาทิตยลดลง
ในงานวิจัยนี้ใชแผงเซลลแสงอาทิตยชนิดซิลิกอนผลึกเดี่ยวรุน BP 253 ศึกษารวมกับระบบ
หลอเย็น 2 ระบบ คือระบบหลอเย็นดวยน้ําและระบบหลอเย็นดวยแผนครีบ สําหรับระบบหลอเย็นดวย
แผนครีบศึกษาในสภาพอากาศแบบธรรมชาติ สวนระบบหลอเย็นดวยน้ําศึกษาที่อัตราการไหลของน้ํา
ใน ชวงตาง ๆ คือ 2.88x10-6, 3.60x10-6, 4.24x10-6 และ 5.88x10-6 m3/s
ผลจากการทดลองพบวา การลดอุณหภูมิแผงเซลลแสงอาทิตยโดยระบบหลอเย็นดวยน้ําที่
อัตราการไหล 4.24x10-6 m3/s ใหผลดีกวาที่อัตราการไหลอื่น ๆ เมื่อเปรียบเทียบผลจากอัตราการไหลใน
แตละชวง ซึ่งทําใหอุณหภูมิของแผงเซลลแสงอาทิตยลดลง และสงผลใหประสิทธิภาพการทํางานของ
เซลลแสงอาทิตยมีคาเพิ่มขึ้น 0.5 % และ 0.3 % ทําใหสามารถผลิตกําลังไฟฟาไดเพิ่มขึ้น 7.3 % และ 5.3 %
สําหรับระบบหลอเย็นดวยน้ําที่ อัตราการไหลดังกลาวและระบบหลอเย็นดวยแผนครีบ ตามลําดับ
โดยเปรียบเทียบกับแผงเซลลแสงอาทิตยที่ไมมีระบบหลอเย็น

คําสําคัญ: โซลารเซลล, เทคโนโลยีการหลอเย็น, อุปกรณลดความรอนแผงเซลลแสงอาทิตย,

เซลลแสงอาทิตย

การประชุมทางวิชาการระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา ครั้งที่ 2 397 บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร

 Abstract
The objectives of this research were introduced the methods of the
modeling and building the PV/T collectors for reducing excessive temperatures. The
effect of excessive temperatures on photovoltaic (PV) modules causes decreasing
efficiency.
In this study, we used PV model BP 253 installed with 2 cooling systems:
photovoltaic/thermal-water (PV/T-Water) system and photovoltaic/thermal-fin
(PV/TFin) system. For the PV/T-Fin system, we applied ambient air in the system.
For the PV/T-Water system, we used 2.88×10−6 ,3.60×10−6 ,4.24×10−6 and 5.88×10−6
m3/s and of flow rate.
According to our result, we found that the PV/T-Water system at the flow
rate 4.24×10−6 m3/s gave us the best result and it caused the excessive temperatures
on the PV module decreasing 23.2˚C and 0.5 % of the gain efficiency, while the
PV/T-Fin system could be caused the excessive temperatures on the PV module
decreasing 10.0˚C and 0.3% of the gain efficiency, when compared with the PV
module alone. The increasing of electrical yield of the PV/T-Water and the PV/T-Fin
system were equaled to 7.3 % and 5.3 %, respectively.

Key words: Solar cell, Photovoltaic, PV/T Collectors, Cooling Systems

1. Introduction
Photovoltaic (PV) cell used the intensity solar radiation on the surface area
of PV to produce electricity power. The excessive PV temperature was causing
electrical power output (electrical yield) decreased 0.4 - 0.5 %/ ˚C for mono- and
multi-crystalline silicon solar cells [7]. Thus, the electrical efficiency was decreased
0.06%/˚C [6]. The photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) technologies are introduced to
decrease excessive PV temperature and prevent the PV efficiency loss. Both of the
PV/T water (PV/T-Water) system and air (PV/T-Air) system could apply for
temperature reduces on the PV modules. Moreover, the PV/T-Water system helped to
keep more efficiency than the PV/T-Air system [8].

Sopian et al. (1996) had presented that the double-pass PV/T-Air system
could reduce more PV temperature and gain the PV efficiency than the single-pass
PV/T-Air system. Stefan Krauter (2004) had reduced excessive PV temperature by the
cooling system with flowing water over the module front at 17 m3/h of the flow rate
and found that the system could decrease excessive temperature up to 22˚C and
calculated that increase 9 % of the electricity yield.

Tonui and Tripanagnostopoulos (2007) developed PV/T-Air system which

consist of glazed PV/T with fin (PV/T-Fin + GL) system and unglazed (PV/T-Fin +
UNGL) systems. They showed clearly that the PV/T-Fin + UNGL system could
increase more the PV efficiency than the PV/T + Fin + GL system.

การประชุมทางวิชาการระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา ครั้งที่ 2 398 บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร

 Nomenclature
A fin fins area m 2 ( ) Tfin fins temperature (K )
A TA area of TA sheet m 2 ( ) Tin water temperature inlet (K )
cp hest capacity of water (J/kg ⋅ K ) TPV PV module temperature (K )
Ii solar irradiance (W/m 2 ) Tout water temperature outlet (K )
I max maximum electric current (A ) TTA TA sheet temperature (K )
I sc short-circuit electric current (A ) Tsur surround temperature (K )
k thermal conductivity (W/m ⋅ K )
m& mass flow rate (kg/s )
q c,fin →sur heat convection from fins to air (W )
q c,TA →sur heat convection from TA sheet to surround (W )
q c,tube heat convection with water (W )
q r,fin →sur heat radiation from fins to surround (W )
q r,TA →sur heat radiation from fins to surround (W )
q ′r′ heat radiation per area unit (W/m 2 )
Voc open-circuit electric voltage (V )
Vmax maximum electric voltage (V )
Δx thickness of materiel (m )

Greek symbols
ε emissivity of materiel
σ Stefan-Boltzmann constant
(5.67 × 10 −8 W/m 2 )
2. The objectives
2.1. To study the method of modeling designs and development the PV/T
collectors and investigate the gain efficiency of the PV module.
2.2. To construct the PV/T-Water system and the PV/T-Fin system to
reduce the excessive temperature on the PV modules.
2.3. To compare the influence of the flow rate on reducing the excessive
temperature.

3. The modeling developments and methods

In Fig.1, we showed the cross-section views of our 2 studied models: the
PV/T-Water system (see Fig.1a) and the PV/T-Fin system (see Fig.1b).
The PV/T-Water system composed of a thin aluminum (TA) sheet which
was about 2 mm of thickness and water tubes (made from copper tube) were 1 mm of
thickness, 0.15 mm of diameter and 42 cm of length. In this work, we installed 7 tubes
and the free space between each tube was 10 cm.

การประชุมทางวิชาการระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา ครั้งที่ 2 399 บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร

 PV module PV module

TA sheet
Water tubes TA sheet
Fins
(a) PV/T-Water (b) PV/T-Fin
Fig.1. Show cross-section view of the PV/T collector model

Both of the PV/T-Water collector and the PV/T-Fin collector were

attached to the rear surface of each PV module (see in Fig.2). The PV/T-Fin system
composed of TA sheet and the fins made from aluminum sheet. The TA sheet was
about 4 mm of thickness and the fins were 2 mm of thickness, 6 cm of height and 49
cm of length. In our designed system, we installed 30 pieces of the fins and each fin
had separated by 2 cm. The surface area of the TA sheets for the PV/T collectors was
equaled to 0.395 m 2 .

(a) The PV/T-Water system

(b) The PV/T-Fin system

Fig.2. The structure and installation of the PV/T systems for tested out door of
the PV/T-Water system (a) and the PV/T-Fin system (b), respectively.

3.1. Conditions of the experiment study

In our experiment, we used 2 mono-silicon PV modules (model BP 253)
and their electrical power outputs were equivalence.
The system was installed at a tilt angle of 7 o (approximate tilt angle of
Songkla Province, Thailand) on a mobile structure and a front of PV modules turned
to the north. Irradiance was measured by a DL-204 of TENMARS luxmeter at the

การประชุมทางวิชาการระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา ครั้งที่ 2 400 บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร

 same incidence plane of the PV modules. Data Logger model DL 2100 (K type of
sensors) was used to record temperature. Ambient temperature was measured in the
shade (under PV modules), while PV temperature was measured on the rear of the 2
PV modules. In addition, we measured temperature at inlet and outlet of water and at
the middle position of fin.
Tracking of the maximum power point was done manually by a variation
of an ohmic load and measuring electrical power output. Data was recorded every 10
min from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Fig.3 illustrated system installations and structures of
the PV/T-Water system and the PV/T-Fin system. In the PV/T-Water system, we
provided the flow rates of water at 2.88 × 10 −6 , 3.60 × 10 −6 , 4.24 × 10 −6 and
5.88 × 10 −6 m 3 /s from water tank. For the PV/T-Fin system, we used free air force
from the ambient air.

Fig.3. Show location and structure of the PV/T-Water system in tested outdoor.

3.2. Energy Balance Equations for Modeling Designs

The equations describing of energy balance for the energy flows and
designing models could be defined from the theoretical models. Fig.4 illustrated heat
convection coefficient and heat radiation transfer of the energy flows on the PV/T-Fin
and PV/T-Water collector. The energy balance consists of input energy and output
energy. The input energy was obtained from the optical incidences in front of the PV
surface and the output energy was obtained from the heat loss on the PV/T collectors.
The assumptions of the energy balance equations for the PV/T collectors
are given by [1], [2], [3] and [6]. In addition, we shall define from the heat achieve
and the heat loss in Fig.4 as follows:

3.2.1. PV/T-Fin system

(T − TTA )
A TA k TA PV = A TA h c,TA →sur (TTA − Tsur ) + A TA ε TA σ(TTA
4
− Tsur
4
)
Δx TA
(
+ A fin η fin h c,fin →sur (Tfin − Tsur ) + A fin ε fin σ Tfin
4
− Tsur
4
) (1)

การประชุมทางวิชาการระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา ครั้งที่ 2 401 บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร

 TA sheet The heat current from PV module

Fins

k TA
h c,TA →sur
h c,fin →sur
q ′r,′ fin →sur

(a) PV/T-Fin

Water in The heat current from PV module

TA sheet

Water tubs
Water out k TA
h c,TA →sur
q ′r,′ TA →sur

(b) PV/T-Water
Fig.4. Schematic diagrams of described the energy flows on The PV/T-Fin
collector (a) and the PV/T-Water collector (b), respectively.

3.2.2. PV/T-Water system

(T − TTA )
A AT k TA PV = A AT h c,TA →sur (TTA − Tsur )
Δx TA
(
+ A AT ε TA σ TTA
4
− Tsur
4
+m )
& c p (Tout − Tin ) (2)

In Eq.1 and Eq.2, The left term occurs from the PV/T collectors and it was
achieved the heat current from the PV module and the right terms occurs from it’s
transfer heat to the ambience air that occur on the PV/T collectors as follow Fig.4.

3.3. Thermal energy

The thermal efficiency (η th ) could be defined from [2], [3] and [6] as
follows:

3.3.1. The thermal efficiency of the PV/T-Water collector (η th, w ) was obtained from
q c,TA →sur + q r,TA →sur + q c, tube
η th, w = (3)
A PV I i
where q c,TA →sur , q r,TA →sur and q c,tube could define from Eq.2

การประชุมทางวิชาการระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา ครั้งที่ 2 402 บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร

 3.3.2. The thermal efficiency of the PV/T-Fin collector (η th,f ) was obtained from
q c,fin →sur + q r,fin →sur + q c,TA →sur + q r,TA →sur
η th,f = (4)
A PV I i
where q c,fin →sur , q r,fin →sur , q c,TA →sur and q r,TA →sur can define from Eq.1

3.4. Electrical energy

The electrical efficiency (η el ) of the PV module is varied as a function of
the irradiance intensities in front of the PV surface, from [4] and [5] is given by
FF ⋅ I sc Voc
η el = (5)
A PV I i
Where FF = I max Vmax /I sc Voc is a fill factor of the PV module.

4. Results and Discussion

Due to the various weather conditions in each day, the characteristic
electricity yields of the PV modules shall be changing follow the irradiance of the
sunshine as incidence in front of the PV surfaces and the operator temperature on the
PV modules. We could obtain the effect of the reduction of excessive temperature on
the PV modules by utilization from the PV/T-Water collector and the PV/T-Fin
collector.
Temperature (o C)
75
PV module
70
PV/T-Water
65
60 Hot water

55 Cool water
50
45
40
35
30
25
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
Time
Fig.5. Comparison between the PV module and the PV/T-Water system at
4.24 × 10 −6 m 3 /s of the flow rate on April 09, 2008.

4.1. The effects of The PV/T systems

In Fig.5, we presented the result for the case of the PV/T-Water system at
the flow rate 4.24 × 10 −6 m 3 /s . Similarly, in Fig.6, we presented the result for the
case of the PV/T-Fin system compared with the PV module.

การประชุมทางวิชาการระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา ครั้งที่ 2 403 บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร

 Clearly, the reduction of the excessive temperature on the PV module by
the PV/T-Water system at the flow rate 2.88 × 10 −6 , 3.60 × 10 −6 , 4.24 × 10 −6 and
5.88 × 10 −6 m 3 /s were 20.50 o C , 21.05 o C , 23.15 o C and 21.45 o C , respectively. For
the PV/T-Fin system, it could reduce the excessive temperature up to 10.00 o C .

Temperature (o C)
70
PV module
65
PV/T-Fin
60
Fin
55
Air
50
45
40
35
30
25
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
Time
Fig.6. Comparing between the PV module and the PV/T-Fin system
on April 28, 2008.

4.2. The electrical efficiency and the thermal efficiency

The values of the electrical efficiency of the PV/T-Water and the PV/T-Fin
system could be calculated from Eq.5 and the thermal efficiency of the PV/T-Water
and the PV/T-Fin system could be calculated from Eq.3 and Eq.4, respectively. In
Table 1, we summarized the best values of each condition. According to this result,
we suggested that the PV/T-Water system at the flow rate 4.24 × 10 −6 m 3 /s could
offer less power loss than the other system (see Table1).

Table 1. Summaries list of the best results from the experiment in this research
The PV/T Flow rate Electrical Thermal
collectors (10 -6 m 3 /s ) efficiency (%) efficiency (%)
2.88 0.38 40.99
The PV/T-Water 3.60 0.42 48.73
system 4.24 0.46 57.57
5.88 0.45 52.76
The PV/T-Fin
Fins 0.32 24.78
system

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 Power (W)
55
50 PV/T-Water
45 PV module
40 I i × 10
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
Time
Fig.7. Showing comparison the electrical power output between the PV module and
the PV/T-Water system at the flow rate 4.24 × 10 −6 m 3 /s on April 09, 2008.

Power (W)
55
PV/T-Fin
50
45 PV module
40 I i × 10
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
Time
Fig.8. Showing comparison the electrical power output between the PV module
and the PV/T-Fin system on April 28, 2008.

In Fig.7 and Fig.8, we illustrated the results of the electric power obtained
from the PV/T systems comparing with the PV module. In Fig.9, we presented the
influence of the flow rate for the case of the PV/T-Water system and fins of the PV/T-
Fin system. Clearly, we obtained the maximum electrical yield from the PV/T-Water
system when the system was supplied at the flow rate 4.24 × 10 −6 m 3 /s .

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 Electrical yield (%)
7.5

7.0

6.5

6.0

5.5

5.0

4.5
0 Fin system
1 2 3 4 5 6
−6 3
Water system (flow rate 10 m /s )

Fig.9. Illustrating of the relationship between the flow rates of the water system
with the electric power and effect of the fin system

5. Conclusion
The results of this experiment could confirm that the PV/T collectors could
help on increasing the electricity yield more than using the PV module alone. Clearly,
our results presented that the PV/T-Water system could prevent more the energy loss
than the PV/T-Fin system. However, we suggested that in each application, the
appropriate system must be concerned.

6. Suggestion
We would like to increase the performance of the PV/T-Fin system to be
better efficiency than the present work by developing other fins modeling.
In the case of the PV/T-Water system, we will study other parameter such
as the effect of controlling temperature of flow water before supplying to the PV/T-
Water system and study the influence of other flow form of the water.
We also suggest that warm water obtained from this system could be
reused for the related application to save electrical energy.
We would like to suggest to focus on the effect of material of fins in the
PV/T-Fin system. For instance, material alloys could offer better potential on
transferring heat from the source to the surroundings better than the pure materials.

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