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Power output enhancement in photovoltaic systems through integration of TiO2-doped phase change material

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Abstract

The performance of a photovoltaic (PV) solar system is affected by the elevated module temperature, which is primarily dominated by solar irradiation. This study aims to manage the temperature of PV modules using passive cooling techniques and reports the improvement of comparative Output Power (OP), prospects and limitations. Two different passive cooling techniques have been developed and examined for regulating the PV systems installed in Jeddah. These techniques integrate the copper multi-pipe cooling frames with either phase change material (PCM), or TiO2-doped PCM. The ambient temperature, module surface temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, voltage, current, and maximum power output are recorded during the test. The results show that the module temperatures of PV/PCM and PV/PCM/TiO2 are reduced by 2.78% and 4.37%, respectively, compared to the conventional PV system. As a result, the output power of PV/PCM and PV/PCM/TiO2 exhibited a respective increase of 2.25% and 3.41% compared to the conventional PV system. The utilization of the copper multi-pipe frame filled with TiO2 doped PCM, known for its superior cooling performance, has rendered PV system highly promising in terms of contributing to future energy solution and augmenting the annual energy yield.

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Abbreviations

AMF:

Aluminum metal foam

DC:

Direct current

PCE:

Power conversion efficiency

GW:

Giga Watt

I sc :

Short circuit current

MPPT:

Maximum power point tracking

PV:

Photovoltaic

PCM:

Phase change material

P max :

Maximum power

PO:

Power output

STC:

Standard test conditions

TiO2 :

Titanium dioxide

TWH:

Tera Watt Hour

V oc :

Open circuit voltage

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), University of Jeddah, Jeddah, under Grant No. (UJ-20-010-DR). The authors, therefore, acknowledge with thanks DSR technical and financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Jeddah, P.O. Box 80327, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    M. A. Fazal & Saeed Rubaiee

  2. Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Jeddah, P.O. Box 80327, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Saeed Rubaiee

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  1. M. A. Fazal
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Fazal, M.A., Rubaiee, S. Power output enhancement in photovoltaic systems through integration of TiO2-doped phase change material. J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 11093–11101 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-023-12405-9

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