EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF SPRAY COOLING IN PV PANEL USING AIR-ASSISTED NOZZLE

In this study, the effect of spray cooling on photovoltaic (PV) cells was investigated with the aim of reducing cell temperature and enhancing electrical efficiency. The experiments were conducted under a constant solar irradiation of 1,000 W/m2 using an air-assisted DXD-HS1 full-cone nozzle to achieve fine atomization. Different water and airflow rates were tested, and key parameters determining spray cooling performance such as the Sauter mean diameter (SMD), Nusselt number, and heat transfer coefficient were analyzed. In addition, the air-to-liquid ratio (ALR) was calculated to evaluate its im-pact on cooling efficiency, while the spray angle and jet diameter were measured from images captured with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The results revealed that SMD andALR play a decisive role in spray cooling performance. The highest heat transfer coefficient of 2.61 W/cm2K was obtained at a water flow rate of 400 mL/min and an airflow rate of 2.7 m3/h, with the minimum cooling time recorded as 143 seconds. Furthermore, the smallest droplet size of 60.13 mu m was achieved at a water flow rate of 200 mL/min combined with an airflow rate of 2.9 m3/h. The DXD-HS1 nozzle provided rapid and uniform cooling, enabling a significant reduction in cell temperature and an improvement in electrical efficiency. Moreover, compared to conventional cooling approaches, the proposed method offers distinct economic advantages, including lower water consumption, reduced operating costs, and a relatively low initial investment requirement.

Journal

JOURNAL OF ENHANCED HEAT TRANSFER

Year

2026

Volume

33

Issue

1

ISSN

1065-5131

eISSN

1563-5074

DOI

10.1615/JEnhHeatTransf.2025059896

WoS UID

WOS:001681774400001