Efficiency Of PV Panel Research Articles

Modelling and optimisation of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity using face-centred central composite design-based response surface methodology: An experimental approach

Due to the shortage in availability of potable water the risk of water scarcity has reached its heights. Researchers have developed methods to increase the availability of potable water in various ways. Solar desalination technique using solar still would assure to have efficient water yield. Thermal energy plays an essential role in the output efficiency of PV panel and the production of solar still. The purpose of our paper is focused on optimisation of thermal properties of Aluminium, Copper and Iron. To obtain the optimised value of thermal properties namely thermal conductivity and thermal expansion an approach called response surface methodology is used. It would reduce the count in which the experiment is repeated as it has a pre-determined set of input parameters and further helps in cost reduction. The optimised input parameters are the volume percentage of Aluminium-0.17 percentage, Copper-2.42 percentage and Iron-2.64 percentage. The optimized output values obtained are of thermal conductivity and thermal expansion. A method called the two-probe method is used for determining the thermal conductivity and the Buoyancy method helps in determining the thermal expansion of the considered samples. The obtained optimised values are inferred from ANOVA. For thermal conductivity, the Adjusted R2 is 0.9796 and for thermal expansion the Adjusted R2 is 0.9032. The Standard Deviation is observed to be 0.202 whereas the Mean value is observed to be 0.4666. The resulting optimised values of thermal conductivity and thermal expansion are 0.467 W/(m*K) and 1.534*10−5(1/K). This ensured the reduced repetition of the experimental run to identify the optimal output value of the system using response surface methodology through central composite design.

Numerical investigation of photovoltaic performance improvement using Al2O3 nanofluid

To further elucidate the impact of fluctuations in environmental temperature and radiation intensity within a day on the temperature and performance of photovoltaic systems with and without nanofluid cooling, this study established a photovoltaic panel temperature and efficiency calculation model based on a nanofluid cooling system that considers the dynamic changes of photovoltaic panel temperature and air temperature over time. An empirical formula for predicting photovoltaic panel efficiency has been derived based on experimental data. Then a PV panel temperature and efficiency calculation model is established and validated. The simulation results show that using nanofluids to cool the PV panel can significantly reduce the temperature and improve the PV efficiency. Compared to the bare PV panel, the average PV panel temperature decreases by 7.99 ℃, 8.48 ℃, and 8.92 ℃ respectively when nanofluid volume fraction is 1 vol%, 3 vol%, and 5 vol%, and it decreases by 8.48 ℃, 9.27 ℃, and 9.94 ℃ respectively when nanofluid mass flow rate is 0.08 m3/h, 0.10 m3/h, and 0.12 m3/h. As the nanofluids' concentration increases, nanofluids' cooling ability in the high temperature range also increases.

Photovoltaic panel cooling with new composite of phase change materials and hierarchical nanoparticles

In this research, the use of a new type of phase change materials (PCM) and hierarchical nanoparticles is discussed to improve the electrical and thermal efficiency of PV panels. TiO2/CuO hierarchical nanoparticles are synthesized by hydrothermal method, and PCMs containing nanoparticles (2.5–10%wt) are prepared, and then experiments are performed in indoor conditions under solar simulator light. The PV panel with a maximum nominal power of 30W is used. The new PCM is made from a mixture of lauryl alcohol and beeswax (LABW). A spiral heat exchanger is placed in the PCM container, in which the flow rate of cool water is variable (m˙ = 0.002–0.01 kg s−1). Firstly, the temperature and voltage-current changes of the PV panel with time are investigated without using PCMs as a reference case, and in steady-state conditions, the temperature and output power values are 67.34 °C and 22.33W. The use of LABW compared to pure beeswax leads to a significant decrease in the PV panel temperature and as a result, an increase in its electrical and thermal efficiency. Also, adding nanoparticles to PCMs from 2.5 % to 7.5 %wt due to the improvement of their thermal conductivity and increasing the heat storage rate of the PV panel leads to an increase in its electrical and thermal efficiency. There is no significant change to decrease the temperature and increase the production capacity of PV panels by increasing the percentage of nanoparticles from 7.5 % to 10%wt. The maximum production power, electrical and thermal efficiency of the PV panel at a flow rate of 0.01 kg s−1, 10%wt of nanoparticles, and a radiation intensity of 1000 W m−2 are 28.92 W, 12.55 %, and 76.67 %, respectively.

Design and implementation of a dual-axis sun tracker for an Arduino-based micro-controller photovoltaic system

This research investigates the optimization of solar panel performance by designing and implementing a low-cost Dual-Axis Sun Tracker (DAST) for an Arduino-based Microcontroller Photovoltaic System. The primary aim is to enhance solar energy extraction by precisely aligning the panel perpendicular to the sun's position, maximizing output voltage and current efficiency compared to fixed systems. The DAST employs two micro servo motors, SG90, controlled by a specialized chronological algorithm in offline mode, ensuring strategic alignment and scheduled adjustments. A comprehensive evaluation of the DAST's performance is conducted, contrasting it with a Fixed System to underscore the advantages of solar tracking. As a result, a DAST produces higher output than a fixed system by 0.896W during sunny days and 0.206W during cloudy days. Besides, the efficiency of PV panels in the DAST is 71.65%, and fixed is 49.66% during sunny days, while DAST is 22.96% and fixed is 17.91% during cloudy days.

Performance evaluation of coloured filters on PV panels in an outdoor environment

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the effects of colour filters and tilt angles on the electrical output characteristics of solar photovoltaic modules. The experimental set‐up allowed for the evaluation of various combinations of colour filters and tilt angles by using a realistic simulation of solar panel installations. The various light spectrum wavelengths and energy levels were taken into account, keeping in mind any potential impacts on the solar cells' conversion efficiency. The results showed that compared to other filter combinations, the use of red colour filters with a 10% blockage rate and an optimal tilt angle led to a noticeable increase in electrical output. This result emphasises the value of colour filtering and tilt angle selection in raising solar photovoltaic systems' overall performance. When compared to the other filters, the red, orange, and yellow filters stand out due to their outstanding efficiency of around 84.98%, 84.08%, and 83.69%. However, the teal, green, and blue filters exhibit relatively low levels of efficiency of about 69.62%, 67.06%, and 58.52%, respectively. The distinct reaction shown by purple and pink filters, when subjected to tilt angle of 30 degrees, offers a potentially productive direction of enhancing the efficiency of PV panel.

Enhancing Solar Photovoltaic Panel Performance in India's Tropical Climate: An Experimental Study on the Influential Effects of Optical Filters

<p>Due to the increasing global energy demand and consequent climate change from burning fossil fuels, researchers are getting more focused on renewable energies as a potential solution to the world's energy problems. Solar energy is a prominent form of sustainable energy. The solar photovoltaic power generation system’s electrical performance is negatively influenced by several factors, including the impact of solar irradiance, incident angle, temperature, dust accumulation on the top of the solar cell, cracks in the solar panel, shadowing, shunt resistance, solar cell materials, load mismatch, maintenance and cleaning schedule, spectral mismatch loss, and cable loss. The direct environmental factors that have the biggest impact on efficiency are the effects of sun irradiance and temperature. This empirical investigation examined the impact of optical filters on the electrical efficiency of a 40W polycrystalline solar PV panel in India while considering real-time ambient conditions. Through the utilization of an optical filter, the solar PV panel's temperature is diminished, hence enhancing the output power of the solar panel. Based on the experimental findings, the utilization of a transparent plexiglass sheet equipped with a coolant system installed on the solar panels leads to a drop in the average operating temperature of the solar PV module by up to 6°C. Additionally, the output power is enhanced by up to 10W in comparison to the reference solar panel’s output performance.</p>

Assessing the Influence of Shading Patterns on Solar PV Panel Efficiency

Assessing the Influence of Shading Patterns on Solar PV Panel Efficiency

Real-time investigation of dust collection effects on solar PV panel efficiency

The amount of the light distraction on the PV is made by the accumulation of particles of dust which in turn decreases efficient performance as well as leads to a reduction of money flow for the investors. More studies and tests were carried out inside the laboratories that cannot find a proper solution to mitigate the same. This study can enable the proper cleaning schedules of the PV panels as this work is being carried out on a real-time basis on the rooftops. The measurement of required parameters like irradiation, output power from the panels, and the amount of dust particles accumulated was done on an hourly, monthly, and yearly basis. It is found that nearly 8% of the performance could be dropped annually. For making a sustained operation of the PV panels it is required to have a cleaning process for 45 days intervals, especially for small-scale systems.

PCM Cooling Technique Applied for Improvement of PV Panel Efficiency

PCM Cooling Technique Applied for Improvement of PV Panel Efficiency

The Impact of Dust Deposition on PV Panels’ Efficiency and Mitigation Solutions: Review Article

Conversion efficiency, power production, and cost of PV panels’ energy are remarkably impacted by external factors including temperature, wind, humidity, dust aggregation, and induction characteristics of the PV system such as tilt angle, altitude, and orientation. One of the prominent elements affecting PV panel performance and capability is dust. Nonetheless, dust features including size, shape, type, etc. are geologically known. Several mitigation methods have been studied for the reduction of dust concentration on the exterior face of the PV modules. The outcomes have demonstrated that dust concentration and pollutants remarkably affect the PV panel energy production. This paper reviews the recently developed research on the outcomes of the dust effect on PV panels in different locations and meets the needs of future research on this subject. Moreover, different cleaning methods that could be advantageous for future researchers in opting for the most applicable technique for dust removal are reviewed.

Numerical investigation of the effect of fin height on the performance of a building-integrated photovoltaic-phase change material unit and application of soft computing method to predict the optimal system performance

A numerical study is done to analyze the effect of fin length on the performance of a building-integrated photovoltaic-phase change material (PV/PCM) unit. The results obtained for cases with different fin lengths (1, 2, 3 and 4 cm) are compared with the findings related to the finless case. The required simulations are conducted by using computational fluid dynamics technique and with the help of Ansys Fluent software. Validation of the numerical method is done through comparison with the experimental data available in the literature. It was found that with the increase in the length of the fins, the performance of the system first improves and then weakens, but the performance of the PV/PCM unit is always better than the finless unit. It was found that the optimal fin length is equal to 3 cm. Furthermore, the artificial neural network technique was used to develop a relationship for predicting the temporal changes of the PV panel efficiency of the finned PV/PCM unit. The correlation coefficient of the model was reported as 0.9906, which confirmed the acceptable accuracy of the model.

Efficiency estimation and hardware implementation of solar PV module system assisted by using surface plasmon resonance sensor

This article presents a multi-mode approach for controlling and optimizing the efficiency of solar photovoltaic systems, as well as for analyzing the response output of optical sensing systems. Solar energy has been detected efficiently in this paper using a surface plasmon chip. Initially, the dual axis tracking system was designed and manufactured according to the standard procedure outlined in the literature. The primary factors affecting the efficiency of a photovoltaic panel are proper site heating and panel cleaning. As a result, the proposed system is aimed at increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic panels by addressing the aforementioned issues. Dual axis tracking ensures that the irradiance is always perpendicular to the photovoltaic panel. Additionally, the cooling system mitigates losses caused by panel heating, and the cleaning system increases the PV panel's efficiency. The solar photovoltaic system's output is analyzed using an optical sensing system equipped with a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. To monitor and control the performance of a proposed prototype solar photovoltaic system using the Resbri Pi3 controller. The proposed system's efficiency is calculated experimentally and presented to confirm the prototype's efficiency. The result is analyzed in the optical domain by the SPR sensor chip.

Thermal management of PV panel through the circulation of a nano-MgO/water-based nanofluid

Since conventionalfossil fuels are used up at the extreme, alternate sustainable greenenergy sources become more popular for producing power. Among the most common ways to produce power is using solarPVtechnology. However, a s a result of overheating of the panels, the efficiency of PV panels drops during the hot sunny days all overthe year, owing tothe peak irradiance of thesun. Hence, solar PV’sefficiency may be increased throughthe right cooling system by reducing the PVtemperature. To alleviate the problems caused by the overheating of the solar panels, this currentstudy investigates the potential of using a nanofluid based on nano-MgO/water. The nanofluid has been synthesizedby dispersing MgOnanoparticlesat a concentration of 0.3% in thewater after distillation. After a whole dayof investigation, the temperature of the solar PVusing nano-MgO/waternanofluid had been noticed as 35 °C, in contrastthe temperature of the conventional PVpanel was found as 78 °C. In addition, the minimized temperature differences through the deployment of nano-MgO/waternanofluid also led to a 16.9% enhancementin overall electrical efficacy of the panel.

Thermal stabilization and energy harvesting in a solar PV/T-PCM-TEG hybrid system: A case study on the design of system components

In PV cells consisting of p-type and n-type semiconductor materials, electricity is produced with part of the solar radiation coming to the cell surfaces, while the rest causes the cells to rise in temperature, thus decreasing the conversion efficiency. Therefore, controlling the cell temperature is very important in terms of conversion efficiency. In this paper, passive cooling was performed by storing the heat acting on the PV panel with a 40 W harvesting capacity in the phase change material (PCM) in contact with the back surface. Simultaneously, active cooling was achieved by transferring the heat stored in the PCM to the hot-side surface of the integrated thermoelectric generator (TEG) with the help of the heat transfer fluid circulated in the copper pipes inside the PCM. Thus, the base hybrid system (PV/T-PCM-TEG) design (Case_1), which increases thermal stabilization of cells, was realized. While 20 thermoelectric modules are used in TEG, RT55 paraffin wax is used as PCM in the empty space on the back surface of the PV panel. In addition, to improve the PV/T-PCM-TEG system efficiency, three different cases were created by adding Al2O3 nanoparticles into the PCM (Case_2) and by placing copper fins around the copper pipes (Case_3). As a result, the power output of PV/T-PCM-TEG is 10.29%, 12.73%, and 14.22% higher for Case_1, Case_2, and Case_3, respectively, than the standard PV panel. In addition, the maximum PV panel efficiency is 30%, while the efficiency of PV/T-PCM-TEG increased to 32.8% with Case_1, 33.9% with Case_2, and 35.2% with Case_3.

Evaluation of the degradation of a PV panel in an arid zone; case study Biskra (Algeria)

Even for a limited period of time, weather conditions including solar radiation, temperature, wind, UV intensity, humidity, and precipitation have an effect on the degradation and efficiency of PV panels. As a result, these are the primary variables that impact the lifetime and durability of a photovoltaic system. Thus, increasing the efficiency of PV modules requires overcoming the critical problem of degradation. The current study aims to examine the deterioration of a poly-crystalline silicon photovoltaic panel that was exposed to outside conditions for four years in Biskra’s arid climate (Algerian town). To assess the performance of the tested PV module, two characterization techniques—I-V and P-V characterization as well as visual inspection—have been applied.Under normal conditions, a new model for determining the five criteria (a, Rs, Rp, I0, and Iph) has been developed using curve-fitting method. It was adapted for panels with and without degradation. By estimating how those parameters degrade, a new technique for identifying damaged panels has been created. The results highlight the dominance of the EVA degradation mode, which has a significant effect on the degradation rates of Rs (54.27%), Rp (−62.68%), and Iph (77.45%), as well as the evolution of the I-V and P-V curves.

Experimental study of a novel photovoltaic-thermal-thermoelectric generator-based solar dryer for grapes drying

ABSTRACT In the present work, a novel photovoltaic-thermal-thermoelectric generator (PVT-TEG) based solar dryer has been developed, and its drying performance is experimentally investigated and compared with open sun drying (OSD). The reason for incorporating the PVT-TEG system in the solar dryer is to improve the system’s utility in practical drying applications by augmenting electrical power generation with the combination of PV and TEG along with extracting thermal energy for drying, thereby improving the overall system efficiency. Grapes drying has been performed to analyze the drying process and thermal and electrical performance of the system. The moisture content level after the experiment is evaluated as 1.71 (d.b.) from an initial value of 4.00 (d.b.) in PVT-TEG solar drying compared with 2.51 (d.b.) in OSD. The findings of the drying performance are determined as 17.81% for drying efficiency, 1.10 kWh/kg for specific energy consumption, and 0.68 kg/kWh for specific moisture extraction rate. The energy efficiencies obtained for the experiment are PV panel efficiency of 14.07%, TEG efficiency of 11.64%, PVT efficiency of 72.36%, and thermal efficiency of 48.50%. When compared to the open literature, the utility of the present novel dryer is found in terms of its enhanced drying and energy performances.

Experimental investigation and performance evaluation of spiral and serpentine collectors based photovoltaic thermal system in Peninsular Malaysia

Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems have been developed for nearly five decades as a further development of PV technology. The PVT system was designed to overcome the limited space for PV and solar water heaters and improve PV cell performance. However, many studies on PVT are theoretical and modeling, so experimentation is needed to confirm it. This study investigated the performance of PVT systems with a spiral and serpentine thermal collector without metal sheets in two scenarios, without and with insulation. Commercial PV was modified with the addition of a copper tube thermal collector and tested with a comparison PV under the weather of the Malaysian peninsula. The experimental results show a maximum electrical efficiency enhancement of 0.53% and a decrease in module temperature up to 5.60 °C in scenario 1. Also, the addition of insulation in scenario 2 increases thermal efficiency up to 18.26%, even though it causes a decrease in electrical efficiency. This research shows that an uncomplicated thermal collector is adequate to increase the electrical efficiency of PV panels. In contrast, the addition of insulation in the rear side of the PVT panel increases the thermal performance of PVT systems.

Efficient performance testing for PV array sets using capacitor charging method

The longevity and efficiency of PV panels are drastically affected by the weather and environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity and wind speed, etc. To check the efficiency of PV panel, I-V curve tracing comes into picture, which can be further verified by statistical and mathematical analysis. In this work, a simple and short duration tracing of PV characteristics is implemented using capacitor charging method. This study incorporates the tracing of 4 × 1 PV array (four modules each rated 250 W in series) characteristics under different conditions. The characteristics were simulated in MatLab/Simulink, having uniform insolation conditions and partial shaded conditions using electronic load method (adding RC as a load). Furthermore, the value of capacitor was varied to find an optimal value and thus using the capacitor charging method to trace the characteristics in a better way.

Experimental Evaluation of PV Panel Efficiency Using Evaporative Cooling Integrated with Water Spraying

In this work, an inventive photovoltaic evaporative cooling (PV/EC) hybrid system was constructed and experimentally investigated. The PV/EC hybrid system has the prosperous advantage of producing electrical energy and cooling the PV panel besides providing cooled-humid air. Two cooling techniques were utilized: backside evaporative cooling (case #1) and combined backside evaporative cooling with a front-side water spray technique (case #2). The water spraying on the front side of the PV panel is intermittent to minimize water and power consumption depending on the PV panel temperature. In addition, two pad thicknesses of 5 cm and 10 cm were investigated at three different water flow rates of 1, 2, and 3 lpm. In Case #1, the evaporative cooling decreased the temperature of the PV panel by about 15 ℃ related to the uncooled PV panel for both pad thicknesses. While case #2 showed a more significant temperature drop for PV panel by about 27 ℃ and 29.7 ℃ for pad thicknesses of 5 cm and 10 cm, respectively. Compared to the uncooled PV panel, the cooled panel had a distinct enhancement in performance. The efficiency of the PV panel in case #1 was augmented by 5.7% with 50 mm pad thickness and 8.4% for 100 mm pad thickness. Case #2 revealed more improvement in the efficiency by 9% for 5 cm and up to 20% for 10 cm pad thickness. The PV panel electric power was augmented by 7.3% and 13.8% for 2 and 3 lpm water flow rates, respectively. Compared to the flow rate of 1 lpm. The open voltage circuit improved by 4.1% and 9.4% for cases #1 and #2, respectively. The higher air temperature drop was about 11.4 ℃ for case #2 at 10 cm pad thickness.

Advancement in Agriculture Approaches with Agrivoltaics Natural Cooling in Large Scale Solar PV Farms

The increasing concerns about the impact of large-scale solar photovoltaic farms on the environment and the energy crisis have raised many questions. This issue is mainly addressed by the integration of agriculture advancement in solar photovoltaic systems infrastructure facilities, commonly known as agrivoltaic. Through the use of these systems, the production of crops can be increased, and the efficiency of PV panels can be improved. Accordingly, adopting such synergistic paths forward can contribute toward building resilient energy-generation and food-production systems. The utilization of cooling techniques can provide a potential solution for the excessive heating of PV cells and lower cell temperatures. Effective cooling applied to PV cells significantly improves their electrical efficiency, as well as increasing their lifespan because of decreasing thermal stresses. This paper shares an overview of both active and passive cooling approaches in solar PV applications with an emphasis on newly developed agrivoltaic natural cooling systems. Actual data analysis at the 2 MWp Puchong agrivoltaic farm shows a significant value of 3% increase of the DC generation (on average) which is most beneficial to solar farm operators.