Passive Thermal Management of a PV Module Using Fins of Various Geometries: A Numerical Study

The working temperature of a photovoltaic (PV) module is an essential attribute that influences both its power output and lifespan. Some of the working challenges encountered after the installation of solar PV modules in regions with high solar irradiance include the reduction in electrical output efficiency due to the rise in the surface temperature. Adding fins to the rear side of a PV module is one of the passive cooling solutions for lowering operating temperatures. In this paper, the working temperature of a monocrystalline silicon PV module with an air-cooled heat sink was studied numerically. The heat sink, in the form of pin fins, rectangular fins, and rectangular fins with single step change (RFSSC), was made of copper, because of its high thermal conductivity and attached to the bottom face of the PV module. The conversion efficiency and cell temperature have been investigated for these three configurations of fin geometry for varying flux conditions. The cooling effectiveness was established by comparing numerically computed 3D models of the module to investigate the influence of operating temperatures over the module’s performance. It was observed that adding RFSSC to the PV module resulted in maximum improvement in the power output to the tune of 20.85% owing to the reduction in average operating temperature by 28 °C.