Modeling, experimental investigation and real-time control of active water cooling system for photovoltaic module

ABSTRACT

Photovoltaic (PV) cells are integral in harnessing solar energy, yet their performance is hindered by excessive heat generation, impacting efficiency and sustainability. Addressing the challenge of efficiency loss in photovoltaic (PV) cells due to overheating, this study focuses on optimizing active water cooling control for PV modules. The aim is to develop a dynamic, sustainable model and integrate a PID controller tuned by Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA), targeting optimal operating temperatures. This study introduces a dynamic model and a closed-loop control system to manage PV cell temperature, investigating the correlation between water flow and temperature regulation. Experimental data is gathered using a pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) as an excitation signal, forming the foundation of an Auto Regressive eXogenous (ARX) model. The closed-loop system incorporates a PID controller and tuned using the Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) to optimize performance. The resulting model is rigorously validated through experimental investigation, demonstrating its precision in capturing the system’s dynamics. Moreover, the implementation of a controller-based cooling system substantiates the model’s practical efficacy. The research demonstrates significant improvements when implementing a controller-based water-cooling system for photovoltaic (PV) modules. Compared to the baseline scenario without cooling, the system achieves a 34.5% reduction in average PV temperature (from 59.2°C to 38.9°C) and a 9.46% increase in average power output (from 196.7W to 215.3W). Moreover, this system utilizes only 248.8 liters of water, marking a substantial 64% decrease in water consumption compared to traditional free-flow cooling methods, which use 790.9 liters. The research demonstrates that the controller-based cooling approach is a sustainable option, delivering power output comparable to the free-flow method, yet significantly lowering water consumption. This research signifies a turning point for sustainability, offering an efficient and water-conscious approach for enhancing PV system performance, a crucial step toward a greener and more environmentally responsible energy future.

KEYWORDS:

• Photovoltaic modules
• active water cooling
• dynamic modeling
• sustainability
• temperature regulation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Universiti Malaysia Perlis and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia for providing the facilities and financial support Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) under a grant number of FRGS/1/2017/TK07/UNIMAP/03/5.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Universiti Malaysia Perlis [FRGS/1/2017/TK07/UNIMAP/03/5.].

Notes on contributors

Mohamad Shukor Abdul Rahim

Mohamad Shukor Abdul Rahim received the B.Eng.(hons) degree from the Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), in 2014, M.Sc (Electrical System Engineering) degree also from Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), in 2016. He is presently pursuing a PhD in Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) about photovoltaic PV thermal management, which he started in 2020. His research area of interest is dynamic modeling, photovoltaic cooling, controller optimization. He can be contacted at email: [email protected].

Mohammad Faridun Naim Bin Tajuddin

Mohammad Faridun Naim Bin Tajuddin received the B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees from the University of Malaya (UM), Malaysia, in 2004 and 2007 respectively, and the Ph.D. degree from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia, in 2015. He is currently with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP). He has published refereed manuscripts in various reputable international journals. His research interests include power electronics control, photovoltaic modeling and control, intelligent control, and optimization techniques. He is also acting as a Reviewer for various reputed journals, such as the IEEE, Applied Energy (Elsevier), Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Neurocomputing, and Energy Reports. He can be contacted at email: [email protected].

Mohd Sazli Saad

Mohd Sazli Saad is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Technology, University Malaysia Perlis. He received his first degree from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Malaysia in Bachelor Degree of Electrical Engineering in 2002, Masters Degree (Mechatronic and Automatic Control) Electrical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia in the year 2007 and completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Control System) from UTM in 2014. His current research interests are process optimization using metaheuristic algorithm, artificial neural-network modeling, control system and additive manufacturing process optimization.

Md. Hasanuzzaman

Dr. Md. Hasanuzzaman is currently working as Associate Professor at the Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), UM Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre (UMPEDAC), University of Malaya, Malaysia. He was listed among the World’s Top 2% Scientists for the year 2023, 2022, 2021 & 2020. He is an Associate Editor of the Alexandria Engineering Journal, Elsevier; Associate Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Renewable Energy Resources. His research interests include thermal engineering, renewable energy, energy and buildings, energy policy, transport and electric vehicles. Dr. Hasan has more than 7200 citations with an h-index of 44 in the Scopus index and 10,000 citations with an h-index of 50 in the google scholar index.

Azralmukmin Azmi

Azralmukmin Azmi received the B.Eng. degree from the University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), in 2007, M.Eng. degree from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), in 2009 and Ph.D. degree from UniMAP, in 2022. He is currently with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Technology, UniMAP. His research interests include artificial intelligence and optimization algorithm in power systems, power electronics and renewable energy. He can be contacted at email: [email protected].

Mohd Fayzul Bin Mohammed

Mohd Fayzul Bin Mohammed received the Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical, Electronics and System degree from National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 2000 and the Master of Engineering in Electrical from University of Malaya in 2006. Currently he pursues his study in Doctor of Engineering in University of Malaya. His current research interests include power electronics topologies, design, and performance evaluation of photovoltaics thermal (PVT), embedded systems and IoT based systems. He is currently working as senior lecturer in Faculty of Electrical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP). He can be contacted at email: [email protected].