Investigating ultrasonic piezoelectrics for photovoltaic cooling: Effects of the height and temperature of submerged water

Abstract

In this study, ultrasonic piezoelectrics submerged in water are utilized to generate cold-water vapor for cooling a photovoltaic panel. The research experimentally investigates the impact of water temperature (5–25 °C), water height (5–7 cm), and the number of piezoelectrics (1–5) on the average temperature, temperature distribution, output voltage, and output power of the panel. To ensure consistent environmental conditions for comparison, all tests were conducted within a solar simulator. The results indicated that the photovoltaic panel performance improves with lower water temperature and height, and an increased number of piezoelectrics. Specifically, the steady-state temperature of the panel, which was 58.23 °C without cooling, was reduced to 34.36 °C by using five piezoelectrics in water at 5 °C and a height of 5 cm. Additionally, analysis revealed that as the water height decreases from 7 cm to 5 cm at water temperatures of 5 °C and 25 °C, the panel’s output voltage increases by 2.64 % and 2.86 %, respectively. Moreover, it was demonstrated that lowering the water temperature from 25 °C to 5 °C and decreasing the water height from 7 cm to 5 cm resulted in a 5.80 % increase in the panel’s power output, rising from 6.03 to 6.38.