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 air flow 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 impact 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 and ALR play a decisive

role in spray cooling performance. The highest heat transfer coefficient of 2.61 W/cm2

K was obtained

at a water flow rate of 400 mL/min and an air flow rate of 2.7 m3

/h, with the minimum cooling time

recorded as 143 seconds. Furthermore, the smallest droplet size of 60.13 µm was achieved at a water

flow rate of 200 mL/min combined with an air flow 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.