Thermal performance enhancement of photovoltaic modules using geometrically optimized fins in PCM systems

This study investigates the thermal performance of a photovoltaic (PV) panel cooling system integrating RT25 phase change material (PCM) within an aluminum enclosure using transient numerical simulation. The impact of fin integration, inclination angle, width, geometry, and volume on the front surface temperature of the PV panel is systematically evaluated. The results indicate that incorporating PCM lowers the front surface temperature to 41.5 °C after 50 min of operation, while the addition of fins further reduces it to 33.9 °C, corresponding to a 22.8 °C decrease compared to the uncooled panel. The results show that fin performance depends strongly on both geometry and volume. The system equipped with T-shaped fins achieves the best thermal performance, reaching a minimum front surface temperature of 29.60 °C, followed by longitudinal fins of 39 mm, with a temperature of 30.68 °C. When comparing configurations with the same aluminum volume (40,500 mm³), triangular prismatic fins exhibit better thermal performance than 30 mm longitudinal fins, reducing the temperature from 33.93 °C to 32.92 °C. This confirms the significant influence of fin geometry on heat transfer enhancement within the PCM. The study demonstrates the importance of geometric fin optimization for enhancing thermal management efficiently and cost-effectively in PV systems exposed to severe thermal conditions.