Thermal Performance of High Concentrator Photovoltaic Systems with Passive Cooling

This study investigates the effect of secondary optics in High Concentrator Photovoltaic (HCPV) systems and evaluates three different passive cooling techniques using ANSYS Fluent and 3D modelling. The analysis incorporates changes in fin configurations and lengths to optimize the thermal management of HCPV cells. Data obtained under varying operation conditions demonstrate that the integration of secondary optics marginally influences the cell's thermal and electrical performance. The effectiveness of the cooling is largely governed by the design and configuration of the heat sink, such as the use of short fins, long fins, or pyramid-shaped fins rather than the secondary optics themselves. The fins enhance heat dissipation by increasing the surface area for convective cooling at the back of the HCPV cell.