Effect of a transverse groove on cooling of a surrogate photovoltaic panel

摘要

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is a rapidly advancing renewable energy technology which converts sunlight directly into electricity. One significant problem is the reduction in conversion efficiency with increasing PV panel temperature, which is closely associated with the increase in solar intensity and the ambient temperature. There has been much research recently into active and passive cooling in order to capture the available energy more effectively when the sun is most intense. While integrated cooling systems can lead to the highest total efficiencies, they are usually neither the most feasible nor the most cost-effective solution. This work examines the effect of the transverse square groove in manipulating the prevailing wind turbulence to enhance convective heat transfer over a heated plate in a wind tunnel.