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Abstract
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This study aims to enhance the lifespan and optimize the efficacy of a solar panel through thermal analysis of a conventional silicon solar cell. The investigation includes an evaluation of the effects of various airflow regimes, including laminar, separation, and turbulent, on both faces of the cell under natural convection. The environmental parameters were selected based on Bushehr, which is located in southern Iran, with average summer and winter temperatures of 310.8 K and 294.2 K, respectively. Based on the response surface design coupled with numerical simulation performed using COMSOL Multiphysics software, the cell temperature was obtained at different conditions. The results revealed that the cell temperature was above the threshold value of 158.3 K in the summer for all airflow regimes, while the cell temperature surpassed the threshold temperature during winter when the separation occurred on the down-face of the cell. The analysis of variance showed that flowing air on the down-face of the cell in the separation mode significantly impacts the cell temperature. This phenomenon can be attributed to a sharp decrease in the separation mode heat transfer coefficient at natural convection. The results showed that implementing thermal management along with solar panel installation is needed in Bushehr.
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