Effect of self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating on dust deposition and performance of PV modules

Abstract

Dust deposition on photovoltaic (PV) module surfaces can substantially decrease PV efficiency and shorten module lifespans. This research aims to examine the impact of self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating on particle deposition and PV performance. In this study, a particle accumulation condition based on surface energy was proposed to determine particle deposition on PV modules. Subsequently, a particle accumulation numerical model was established, and its rationality was verified. Next, the effect of particle size, wind speed, and tilt angle on particle accumulation on coated and uncoated modules was numerically explored. Moreover, the impact of a self-cleaning coating on PV efficiency and output power was evaluated. The findings suggest that compared with deposited dust on uncoated modules, dust accumulation on coated modules decreases by 37.4 % under a particle size of 30 μm and a tilt angle of 60°. Moreover, the cleaning ability of the coating increases with the tilt angle, owing to the gravitational effect of the particles. Furthermore, the accumulated dust on uncoated and coated modules shows an approximate V-shaped distribution with increasing wind speed. However, the dust decreases as the particle size increases when the tilt angle exceeds 45°. Additionally, the reduction in efficiency is 9.8 % for uncoated modules and 7.9 % for coated modules.