Numerical Investigation of a Concentrating Photovoltaic Cooling System Using a Heat Sink with Nanoparticle-Enhanced Phase Change Materials

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ramin Vatandoust 1
Arash Mirabdolah Lavasani 1
Saeed Dinarvand 1
Mohamad Eftekhari Yazdi 1
Mohammad Sardarabadi 2
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Technologies, Quchan University of Technology, Quchan, Iran
10.22055/jacm.2026.48778.5490
Abstract
In this study, the cooling of a Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) system with a heat sink is investigated numerically. For this purpose, a two-dimensional model including the CPV cell, phase change material, and 3% and 5% CuO nanoparticles is developed. The 2D numerical simulation is based on the enthalpy method. Validation is performed based on available experimental data. The validation shows that the difference is around 2%; therefore, the simulation is acceptable. Results show that using 5% CuO nanoparticles instead of 3% CuO nanoparticles or pure PCM increases the heat transfer coefficient and lowers the CPV solar cell temperature, ultimately boosting system efficiency. The best results are achieved with 5% CuO, reducing the panel’s temperature by up to 11°C compared to pure PCM. This leads to a noticeable improvement in electrical efficiency, increasing it from 2.55% with pure PCM to 3.37% with 5% CuO.
Keywords
Nanoparticles, Phase Change Materials (PCM), Nanoparticle-Enhanced Phase Change Materials (NEPCM), Concentrating Photovoltaic Panels (CPV)
Heat Sink
Subjects

Publisher’s Note Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Journal of Applied and Computational Mechanics

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 17 May 2026