Monitoramento de módulo fotovoltaico flutuante com arrefecimento passivo por pontes de calor em contato com água

Abstract

Solar energy is considered one of the most promising alternatives at the present time and its application in photovoltaic (PV) plants has grown worldwide to generate electricity. Limiting factor in the PV generation process, high operating temperatures of the PV modules lead to a reduction in their energy conversion efficiencies. In order to reduce this effect by reducing the operating temperature of the PV modules, in recent years, notice the increasing number of PV plants being installed on bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, reservoirs, dams, oceans, among others, the so-called floating PV plants. Following the same concept, the present work has the objective of monitoring a floating FV module with passive cooling using fins fixed in its back and in contact with the water and compare its results with that of another module, with the same specification, installed of conventional way on roof. The experiment was carried out at the Alternative Energies Laboratory of the Federal University of Ceará (LEA / UFC) using two 20 Wp polycrystalline FV model KS20T modules. The floating PV module was installed on a tank with 310 liters of water with the fins penetrated into the water by 2 cm. The data obtained from the use of sensors to measure temperature, solar irradiance, wind speed, direct current and voltage were collected by a programmable logic controller (PLC). From these data, it was possible to perform a comparative analysis of the operation of the two modules, noting a higher generation of electric power by the floating PV module, which is 30% higher in days with total irradiation between 2051 and 5000 Wh/m^2 and 24.0% on days with total irradiation above 5000 Wh/m^2.