ABSTRACT
Application of enhanced phase change materials with metal insertion for the thermal control of photovoltaic solar cells and heat storage was investigated numerically for various parameters e.g. metal mass ratio, solar insolation, enhanced PCM thickness. A one-dimensional numerical investigation was carried out and the results were compared with other enhancement configurations. It is observed that using RT25 as a PCM with metal insertion reduces significantly the solar cell surface temperature to the level of the PV cell reference point. The photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) system with RT25 of thickness 4 cm and metal mass ratio from 30% to 40% maintains the PV solar cell at 27 oC for 300 min in the case of aluminum insertion and 720 min for copper and steel insertions at solar insolation 750 W/m2 and ambient temperature of 23 oC. The thermal performance of PV/T system with RT25 of 10cm thickness and aluminum mass ratio from 30% to 40% using a typical ambient temperature and solar insolation distributions in summer and winter for 300 north latitude was predicted. The PV solar cell was maintained within the melting range of the PCM through the winter daytime and the first ten hours in summer daytime. Also, the drop in the electrical conversion efficiency does not exceed 0.6% for summer daytime with maximum 800 W/m2 solar insolation. The heat stored ratios are 1056 and 734 through a summer and winter daytime, respectively.