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Terra Joule Journal

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into enhancing the thermal performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules through the integration of inflow-guided cooling baffles, using a validated 3D CFD model developed in ANSYS Fluent 2020 R1. The simulations were performed under a solar heat flux of 850 W/m2, an inlet air velocity of 2.5 m/s, and a Reynolds number of 1.2× 104, while four configurations were examined: a baseline PV module without baffles, a vertical-guide model reported in previous studies, and three novel nozzle-type inflow guides positioned at 45°, 30°, and 25°. Experimental validation conducted under controlled environmental and radiation conditions confirmed the reliability of the CFD approach, showing an excellent temperature agreement with an average deviation of 3.04%. The results demonstrate that incorporating inflow-guided baffles significantly enhances convective heat transfer and reduces the maximum PV temperature, thereby improving the module's electrical efficiency. Moreover, the nozzle-type guides proved superior to vertical guides, with the 30° nozzle configuration yielding the highest performance by reducing cell temperature by approximately 4.5%. The findings confirm that the proposed inflow-guided nozzle approach provides an effective passive cooling strategy for improving PV thermal management and overall system performance.

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