Design evolution of a heat sink using constructal theory for a photovoltaic panel

A photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system equipped with a Y-shaped channel heat sink (YCHS) is simulated to enhance photovoltaic (PV) efficiency by improving thermal management. The YCHS is designed using constructal theory, optimizing fluid flow paths to maximize heat dissipation and improve overall system performance . Simulation results were validated with numerical and experimental works and indicate that incorporating the YCHS increases electrical efficiency by 24.5 % compared to a conventional PV system without active cooling. Further analysis reveals that higher branching levels in the YCHS significantly improve heat dissipation but also introduce drawbacks, such as higher pressure drops and reduced temperature uniformity across the PV surface. To mitigate these effects, two new proposed designs are developed based on flow path direction, which successfully reduces pressure drop by up to 87 % while enhancing temperature uniformity across the PV module . Moreover, the proposed design achieved the highest thermal efficiency of 60.3 % and electrical efficiency of 15.95 %, making it the most effective configuration for PVT system. • A novel PVT system with a Y-shaped heat sink based on constructal theory was proposed. • Comprehensive evaluation and analysis of PVT were conducted. • Water was used as the cooling fluid in the constructal heat sink. • PV electrical efficiency improved by 24.5 % compared to other methods. • The optimum design reduced the pressure drop by 87 %.