Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Heat Transfer Research, cilt.56, sa.4, ss.19-34, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The efficiency of PV systems is reduced in proportion to the increase in ambient temperature. In order to reduce this temperature-dependent efficiency drop and increase PV output power, it is necessary to cool the PV system. While active cooling methods require additional energy input, passive techniques offer a promising alternative since they cool by natural heat transfer without external energy consumption. In this study, the application of heat pipes as a passive cooling technique for PV was investigated. A heat pipe was fabricated from a 16-mm-diameter copper tube. Copper plate fins were added to the condenser section of the heat pipe. In addition, the heat pipe was flattened and fins were added to increase the contact between the back of the panel and the heat pipe. R134a was used as the working fluid in the heat pipe. The performance of the heat pipe PV cooling under outdoor conditions was compared with the reference PV under the same conditions. The experimental results showed a significant improvement in PV performance due to heat pipe cooling. Compared to the reference PV, the heat pipe-cooled PV exhibited an average increase of 6.31% in energy efficiency and 8.5% in exergy efficiency. This efficiency improvement translated into a 4.73% increase in electrical power output. In addition, the heat pipe-cooled PV exhibited a lower rate of efficiency degradation with increasing temperature, demonstrating its effectiveness in mitigating temperature-induced performance degradation. These results highlight the potential of heat pipe-based passive cooling to improve the efficiency and performance of PV. Further research is warranted to investigate the long-term performance of heat pipe-cooled PV panels under various operating conditions and to conduct a comprehensive economic analysis to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this cooling technology. Overall, heat pipe-cooled PV panels offer a promising approach to improving the sustainability and efficiency of renewable energy systems.