| Work Detail |
A group of Egyptian researchers studied the use of partially submerged angular piercing fins (PSAPF) and solid fins (PSASF) to assess their ability to remove excess heat from floating PV modules in outdoor Mediterranean environments. The team found that the optimized PSAPF-FPV module achieved a Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of $0.068/kWh.
A research team evaluating a novelly designed heat sink as a way to reduce thermal degradation in floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems in Port Said, Egypt found that partially submerged angled perforated fins (PSAPF) were highly effective for increase the heat dissipation of the systems.
Evaluating the negative effects of heat on FPVs, the researchers found that “every 1 degree Celsius increase in operating temperature caused a 0.5% decrease in the electrical efficiency of the PV module.”
To combat this problem, the group conducted experiments using two different submerged heat sink designs, one with perforated fins (PSAPF) and one with solid fins (PSASF). They evaluated thermal and electrical performance in comparison to a reference FPV set without cooling (FPV-R). The report specifies that the objective was to "identify optimal FPV module productivity in terms of heatsink design, module operating temperature, and wind and water current speeds."
With a surface water flow of 0.3 m/s and a 5 m/s wind from a direction of 60 degrees, the researchers found that the use of PSAPFs produced a 28.11% increase in electrical efficiency and a reduction of 33.31% in operating temperature compared to the FPV-R. The use of PSASF produced a 22.82% increase in electrical efficiency and a 28.39% reduction in operating temperature compared to the FPV-R.
“The power generated from the FPV-PSASF and FPV-PSAPF modules improved by 18.14% and 22.77%, respectively, compared to the FPV-R module, reaching mean values ??of 56.59 W and 58.81 W, respectively,” the group stated, noting that all systems were operating under the same conditions.
The researchers used two sets of angled U-shaped aluminum fins each 900mm in length. Each set had 12 angled fins, 600mm at the rear of the FPV exposed to ambient air and the other 300mm submerged in a large basin of water simulating the actual body of water. The fins enlarged the heat transfer surface area of ??the FPVs, removing heat by convection.
The researchers chose aluminum as the material for the fins "because of its good thermal conductivity, its lightness and its low cost." The researchers glued the fins to a flat aluminum plate before using resin to affix them to the back of the investigated modules. This method allowed the fin arrangement to be easily installed or removed.
According to the group, “Economic evaluation revealed that the LCOE of the PSAPF-FPV module with the optimized condition decreased by 17.70% to 0.068 ($/kWh), while fixing the partially submerged angle PSASF solid fins reduced the LCOE by 12.50%, compared to the reference FPV module, up to 0.072 ($/kWh)”. Perforated fins not only provided better results than solid fins, but also reduced the weight of the fin material by 15% in comparison.
The researchers conclusions appeared in " An innovative cooling technique for floating photovoltaic module: Adoption of partially submerged angle fins," published in Energy Conversion and Management: X. _ The authors include faculty from the University of Port-Said, as well as a researcher from the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy.
“Future studies will analyze the quantified rates of water conservation, as well as the global reduction of evaporation. These and related cooling strategies should be further investigated in the future," the authors conclude. |
