Performance analysis of a low concentrated photovoltaic system thermal management by hybrid phase change materials

With the widespread use of cells, the significance of thermal management is increasingly emphasized in academic research. The issue of decreasing photoelectric conversion efficiency due to overheated cells in photovoltaics has garnered attention. Thermal management technology utilizing phase change materials (PCM) has the potential to enhance the overall efficiency of solar energy utilization. However, the PCM has poor thermal conductivity, which makes attaching it directly to the back of the solar cell ineffective. The heat trapped in PCM is also difficult to discharge. To solve this problem, a new low-power concentrating photovoltaic system with integrated PCM and comprehensive utilization of photoelectricity and photothermal is proposed (LCPV-PCM). It is verified with the reference. The effects of Porous metal materials (PMMs), PCMs filling sequence, and collector tube diameter on the cooling effect are studied. The results indicate a clear temperature equalization effect of PMMs, leading to a 4.08 % increase in electrical efficiency when filling PCM with lower phase change temperature. The temperature of the collector tube with a diameter of 2.5 mm can be reduced by 21.9 K, increasing electrical efficiency by 9 %. The results are of significance in exploring the application of PCM in cell thermal management.