Cooling of solar cells using heat pipes
Description: Output power of solar panels significantly decreases when they are heated. Therefore, we decided to offer a system or device that would reduce this effect. After studying solar cells we came up with a device model based on heat pipes. In the work, we offer a constuction in which heat pipes of a special structure and solar cells are installed in a certain way.
This study proposes a new way to reduce the effect of high temperatures on solar cells. First of all, we investigated this process theoretically, and then conducted experiments to confirm it, making up our own solution. We suggest cooling the bottom of them using heat pipes. Firstly, we invented a new type of heat pipe by dividing it into different sectors. One of them will be made from a metal with high thermal conductivity (e.g., copper), in order to efficiently absorb heat from the batteries and efficiently release it to the environment. And another one will be made of a material that does not conduct heat well (e.g., plastic), so that the temperature difference between the battery and the environment does not interfere the evaporation. Secondly, we created a construction which combine solar panels with offered heat pipes. The evaporating part of the pipes is fixed under the panel, and the condensing part is located in a special construction. It is made from the material that does not conduct heat well. We suggest to cover it with a mirror coating on top for better heat reflection. The lower half of the walls will be absent to allow air circulate inside. Thus, in our opinion, the pipes will take away heat well and cool enough to condense the coolant. Therefore it was offered the system, that used heat pipes to cool the lower part of panels.
Organisation: National Center "Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" under the auspices of UNESCO
Innovator(s): Anna Butenko
Category: Energy
Country: Ukraine
