ANALYSIS OF PASSIVE COOLING SYSTEM TO ENHANCE SOLAR CELL PERFORMANCE

• Main Author: Syahida Salsabila, Raisa
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/76568
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

In solar power plants, the amount of solar energy converted is in the form of heat energy. The wasted heat energy can cause an increase in temperature on the PV (Photovoltaic) modules. One of the problems in using solar energy as a power source is the decrease in power output due to the rise in PV module temperature. The increased temperature on the PV module can raise resistance in the system circuit, thereby reducing energy conversion efficiency. To address this issue, the PV module's temperature must be maintained at a safe operational level. PV module cooling technology is a solution to lower the temperature on the PV modules. This technology comprises passive and active cooling methods. Active cooling technology requires specific energy for cooling, while passive cooling technology does not need additional energy for cooling. This research focuses on the use of heat sinks as a passive cooling method. With relatively easy installation and cost-effectiveness compared to other cooling technologies. In this thesis research, a computational analysis is conducted on two scenarios of passive cooling technology to improve the performance of PV modules by installing heat sinks with fins attached to the bottom surface of the PV modules. Standard Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software is used to observe the heat distribution resulting from the temperature increase. The simulation and analysis results indicate that in Scenario 1, with a solar radiation intensity of 1000W/m2, the highest temperature reduction was 27.9°C, and in Scenario 2, the highest temperature reduction was 26°C. The calculated PV module performance, maximum power output, and efficiency for Scenario 1 were 94.97W and 18.38%, respectively, while for Scenario 2, they were 94.32W and 18.25%. The Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) results for the best performance in Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 were Rp 9,707,857 and Rp 2,454,233, respectively.