Optimal thermal management of High-Concentrator photovoltaic systems using heat sinks with various cavity configurations

초록

"To maintain cell temperatures within safe limits in high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) systems, an efficient and cost-effective cooling strategy is essential. Such a strategy not only enhances system performance but also prevents thermal damage and extends the lifespan of the PV cells. In this study, novel water-cooled heat sinks with various cavity geometries are designed and evaluated. The investigation focuses on a cell module consisting of a 5 × 5 array of triple-junction cells exposed to a concentration ratio of 1000, with coolant mass flux ranging from 100 to 1100 kg/m2·s. The results demonstrate that cavity-enhanced designs significantly reduce the average cell temperature. Rectangular cavities lower the temperature by up to 8.7 K at the lowest mass flux, while triangular cavities with a sharp downstream tip (the selected configuration) achieve temperature reductions of up to 18.5 K at the highest mass flux, compared to the baseline. While the reference model requires a mass flux of 800 kg/m2·s to maintain all cells within the acceptable temperature range, the selected model achieves this target with only 300 kg/m2·s. To ensure temperature uniformity (ΔT < 5 K), a mass flux exceeding 500 kg/m2·s is required. Under these conditions, thermal stress decreases from 68.62 to 40.47 MPa as mass flux increases. The selected model also achieves the highest cell efficiency, electrical output, and net power generation, with an approximate 2.28 % increase in efficiency and a 1.34 % reduction in thermal power. At a mass flux of 1100 kg/m2·s, the model reaches a performance index of 1.28, indicating superior thermal and electrical performance compared to the other configurations. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

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