article · Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
This study presents a numerical evaluation of a novel heat sink design aimed at cooling low-concentrated photovoltaic systems. Traditional minichannel cooling setups often suffer from thermal inefficiencies. To address this, a new configuration featuring wavy channel surfaces and a trapezoidal inlet, known as TWMC, was tested against standard trapezoidal and rectangular designs. The simulations evaluated laminar water flow across Reynolds numbers from 200 to 900 under a uniform base heat flux of 100 kW/m2. Results show that the wavy design notably outperforms standard options, achieving a 30.82 percent reduction in thermal resistance alongside a 9.2 percent increase in Nusselt number at the highest flow rates. Although the wavy layout causes a higher pressure drop, its overall thermohydraulic performance evaluation criterion remains superior, demonstrating the benefit of wavy geometries for solar thermal management.
Concentrated solar cells generate intense heat that lowers their efficiency and shortens their operational lifespan. By using advanced channel shapes that disrupt coolant flow and expand surface area, this cooling method removes heat far more effectively than traditional flat designs, helping solar installations maintain higher energy outputs under concentrated sunlight.
This work is relevant to manufacturers of concentrated photovoltaic systems and thermal management hardware looking to optimise cell operating temperatures. Because the findings are based entirely on numerical simulations, the technology remains at an early stage of development and would require physical prototyping and experimental testing before it can be applied in commercial solar products.
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This research conducts a comprehensive numerical evaluation into an advanced heat dissipation system for low-concentrated photovoltaic systems, addressing the limitations of conventional minichannel heat sink designs. To overcome their inherent inefficiencies, a novel minichannel configuration with wavy surfaces and a trapezoidal inlet section (TWMC) is proposed, aiming to enhance convective heat transfer through increased surface area and induced flow turbulence. Three configurations wavy minichannel (TWMC), trapezoidal minichannel (TMC), and rectangular minichannel (RMC) are systematically compared in terms of key performance metrics, including thermal resistance, Nusselt number, pressure loss, and friction index. Water serves as the coolant, operating in a laminar flow regime (Re = 200–900) and absorbing a uniform heat flux of 100 KW/m 2 applied to the channel base. Results demonstrate that the TWMC configuration outperforms conventional designs, achieving a 30.82% decline in heat resistance and a 9.2% surge in Nusselt number at peak Reynolds numbers. The TWMC design improves the performance evaluation criterion (PEC) to 1.06, with exceptional overall thermohydraulic performance PEC(R) ranging from 1.078 to 1.271, despite higher pressure drop. These findings offer insights into optimizing CPV system performance, emphasizing the potential of innovative wavy-channel geometries to revolutionize thermal management and energy efficiency in advanced photovoltaic applications.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.csite.2025.106382
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