NOLVLNO ` ca=o ==c =p ~=f =m ~=p~=m~=m ~

NLQ K K L~K\ ZMULMVLNOLNSPMOMQC Z

Search:

Go

CFD Rev iew

Home | A bout

Topics | Features

Sec tions | Search

Events | Jobs

Links | FA Q

User P references

Site Sponsorship

Headline Feeds

Mobile Edition

P rivacy P olicy

Terms of Service

Submit a CFD Story

Site Sponsors

Tell a Friend

Help this site to grow

by sending a friend an

invitation to visit this

site.

CFD News by Email

Flow Simulation Improves Photovoltaic Solar

Panel Performance

Posted Fri September 12, 2008 @11:24AM

Schueco, one of the leadingproducers of photovoltaic panels,used Flomerics Floventcomputational fluid dynamics(CFD) software to redesign itsproducts to improve their thermal performance so that15% to 20% more panels can be used in a givenspace.

Todays photovoltaic panels present a major thermaldesign challenge since every degree Centigrade oftemperature rise reduces the power produced by0.5%.

The CFD results helped us understand exactly howthe panels were being heated and guided us as wemade major improvements to the design, said HamidBatoul, Technical Director of Solar Department,Schueco International, Paris, France. As the first inour industry to perform CFD simulation, we believethat we are now able to provide our customers withsubstantially higher power output than an equivalentcompetitive design.

Schueco provides complete solar energy systemsincluding all components needed to produce energyfrom the sun including panels, collectors, tanks,mounting system, control units and monitoringelectronics. Sunlight hits the photovoltaic panels andgenerates direct current. The UK governmentsponsored Energy Saving Trust estimates thatmicrogeneration could reduce the UKs carbonemissions by 15% compared with the present mix ofenergy generation. The Rocky Mountain Institute inSnowmass, Colorado recently released a study that

CFD Rev iew Login

User name:

Password:

userlogin

Create an Account

Related Links

Flovent

Schueco

More on Application

Also by nwyman

NOLVLNO ` ca=o ==c =p ~=f =m ~=p~=m~=m ~

OLQ K K L~K\ ZMULMVLNOLNSPMOMQC Z

CFD News by Email

Did you know that you

can get today's CFD

Review headlines

mailed to your inbox?

Just log in and select

Email Headlines EachNight on your User

Preferences page.

Snowmass, Colorado recently released a study thatshowed that output of small scale power sources willsoon outstrip the worlds nuclear power industry.

Schueco was the first company in the solar energybusiness to recognize that substantial improvementsin photovoltaic panel performance could be achievedby optimizing thermal design. I previously worked forseveral companies making telecommunicationsequipment and used thermal simulation to solvethermal challenges, Batoul said. I found thatFlomerics Flotherm CFD software was the mostpowerful tool available in that space. Performingthermal simulation of solar energy systems requiresdifferent software because of the need to modelbuilding materials that play a role in thermalperformance. Flomerics offers Flovent CFD softwaredesigning for addressing heating, ventilation andcooling problems in buildings. We tried Flovent andfound it met all our requirements such as modelingthe thermal characteristics of glass and simulating theeffects of radiation on the panels.

Batoul uses Flovent to model complete solarsystems. Flovent simulates the absorption andreflection of solar energy by the panels, the transfer ofheat to aluminum profiles and the surrounding air, etc.The CFD results helped us understand exactly howthe panels were being heated and guided us as wemade major improvements to their design, Batoulsaid. Examining the flow of air under the photovoltaicpanels showed that the size of the passageway wasconstricting the flow of air. We increased the depth ofthe profile that supports the photovoltaic panels toincrease the distance between the panels and theroof. Re-running the simulation demonstrated that thisincreased the airflow and reduced the temperature ofthe photovoltaic panels. Through these studies, weoptimized the design of the solar energy systems andalso gained an understanding of how temperature isaffected by different arrangements of panels andambient conditions.

NOLVLNO ` ca=o ==c =p ~=f =m ~=p~=m~=m ~

PLQ K K L~K\ ZMULMVLNOLNSPMOMQC Z

Schueco Improves Photovoltaic Solar Panel PerformanceUsing FLOVENT Thermal/AirFlow Simulation Software from

Flomerics.

For further information, please contact:

Mike ReynellDirector of Marketing Flomerics Group PLC81 Bridge RoadHampton CourtSurrey, KT8 9HHUK

Tel: +44 (0)20 8487 3000Fax: +44 (0)20 8487 3001

[ Post Comment ]

< Introduction to AutoBlade v8.9-1 | CFD Used to DesignAutomotive Vortex Generators >

'Flow Simulation Improves Photovoltaic Solar Panel Performance' |Login/Create an Account | Search Discussion

Comment Display Control

Threshold: 0: 0 comments

Display: Nested

Sorting: Oldest First

Change

The following comments are owned by whoever postedthem.

We are not responsible for them in any way.

You roll my log, and I will roll yours. -- Lucius Annaeus SenecaAll content except comments

2012, Viable Computing.

NOLVLNO ` ca=o ==c =p ~=f =m ~=p~=m~=m ~

QLQ K K L~K\ ZMULMVLNOLNSPMOMQC Z

[ home | submit story | search | polls | faq | preferences | privacy | terms of service | rss ]