Abstract
A novel cooling channel system with multiple porous deflectors (PDs) and nanofluids is proposed for thermal management of photovoltaic (PV) panels. The PDs are elliptic in shape while alumina nanoparticle of cylindrical shape is considered in water which is used as the base cooling medium in the channel. Impacts of Reynolds number (Re: 200–1000), Darcy number (10−6−10−2), PD number (1–5) and aspect ratio of the PDs (0.25–1) on the cooling performance are numerically assessed while nanoparticles are used up to solid volume fraction of 3%. The flow and thermal patterns are strongly influenced by installation of PDs with lower permeability and higher aspect ratio in the cooling channel. The average Nusselt number (Nu) rises by about 56.1% at aspect ratio of 1 when lowest and highest Reynolds number cases are compared while average panel temperature drops become 8.64 °C. When cooling channel with PDs operating at lowest and highest permeability are compared, 37% rise of average Nu and 10 °C temperature drop are obtained at aspect ratio of 1. When nanofluid is used instead of pure fluid as the cooling medium, further performance improvement are achieved which depends upon the aspect ratio of the PDs in the channel. The best cooling performance is achieved when five PDs with aspect ratio of 1 are installed in the channel operating with nanofluid at solid volume fraction of 0.03. This case provides 107.5% higher average Nu and 13.7 °C lower temperature as compared to reference case. The combined utilization of PDs and nanofluid in the cooling channel provides an excellent tool for the thermal management of PV. A modeling approach with modal base is successfully used for impacts of PDs on the cooling performance of coupled cooling channel with conductive panel system.