Simulation of an active cooling system for low-concentratinag photovoltaic solar cells

Abstract

One of the key challenges of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems is the need for effective thermal management, as the increased solar irradiance significantly raises the operating temperature of solar cells, thereby reducing their efficiency. This study proposes a passive cooling solution for a Π-shaped low-concentration photovoltaic (LCPV) system, designed without a mechanical pump and uses gravity-fed water circulation. The thermal performance of the system was analysed using COMSOL Multiphysics. The simulation results demonstrate that the developed cooling system achieves high temperature uniformity, with a maximum surface temperature difference of only 0.07 °C for a radiator comprising five tubes. The system is capable of reducing the solar cell temperature from 40 °C to 22 °C in 10 seconds. Various radiator configurations were investigated for a module consisting of nine solar cells, confirming that the proposed system enables rapid cooling and maintains the cell temperature within optimal operating conditions. The presented design offers a simple, energy-efficient, and cost-effective solution for thermal regulation in LCPV modules.