Passive Cooling: Energy Analysis of a Flat Plate Photovoltaic Module with Multidirectional Tapered Fin Heat Sinks (MTFHS)

Solar energy has been increasingly popular as a renewable energy source in recent years, displaying significant potential for power generation. However, the main limitation of photovoltaic module systems is the reduced electrical efficiency that occurs as the module temperature increases due to exposure to the sun. Utilizing heat sink fins on a photovoltaic (PV) module is feasible, particularly in passive cooling. This study aims to examine the energy analysis of a Multidirectional Tapered Fin Heat Sink (MTFHS) on a flat plate PV module. The MTFHS design is made from aluminum alloy and has a high thermal conductivity, effectively absorbing and dissipating the heat from the PV module. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate and examine the energy performance of the MTFHS. The simulation was conducted with a solar irradiance of 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 W/m2 with a wind speed of 0.5 to 3.0 m/s. The MTFHS was compared with a bare PV module without any fins. The findings reveal that utilization of the MTFHS contributes to lowering the PV module, thus enhancing the electrical efficiency compared to the bare PV module. Overall, the MTFHS showed a significant enhancement in electrical efficiency, with the highest efficiency recorded at 200 W/m2 with 19.21% efficiency.