Numerical study on convection heat transfer from inclined PV panel under windy environment

Abstract

Due to the negative correlation between PV cell temperature and its efficiency, study on convection heat transfer from PV panel under real windy condition seems essential. Then a 3D numerical model has been established to investigate the impact of PV tilt angle, wind condition and different heat flux boundary conditions. To reveal the influence of photoelectric conversion characteristic on convection heat transfer, two boundary conditions, i.e., constant heat flux and heat flux varying with temperature are adopted and compared. Velocity vector field, temperature and velocity contours are also provided for detailed analysis. Within the studied range of tilt angle α, it is interesting to find there exists a minimum Nuc, and the corresponding α shifts to a larger value with increasing wind velocity. As wind direction varies, a decrease in Nuc is discovered at first, and then a rising tendency is followed. In addition, as wind velocity is relatively lower, higher heat flux enhances Nuc at random α, especially for the case of α≥45°. Finally, a novel empirical correlation about convection Nusselt number incorporating the factors of tilt angle, wind direction and wind velocity is put forward.