DESIGN OF COMBINED HEAT SINK AND PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL AS A PASSIVE COOLING METHOD FOR SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC

• Main Author: Naufal Wahyu Athallah, Muhammad
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/81884
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

With the increasing trend of renewable energy in Indonesia, the amount of solar PV usage in rooftop solar power plants is also on the rise. Although solar PV relies on sunlight, there are issues when the panels temperature arise. This fact is known to result in a decrease in efficiency when the panels are overheating. A commonly implemented solution is to use passive cooling method with a heat sink on the back of the panels to increase the surface area contacted with the air which can help reduce the panel temperature. This study will compare the use of straight, circular, and zig-zag orientations for the heat sink through simulations using Ansys software with scoring based on several aspects such as the dimensions once installed on the panel, effectiveness in lowering the panel temperature, the economic factor in terms of market availability, and long-term usage related to maintenance. Based on the simulation results, the best heat sink according to various criteria is the straight orientation. This orientation is then combined with another passive cooling method, which is PCM (Phase Change Material) that uses specific materials capable of storing and releasing energy in the form of heat through a phase change, thereby providing temperature regulation. According to the simulation results, combined method provides better temperature reduction with an average PV cell temperature of 47,94oC and the highest total value, making it the best alternative solution.