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Shading Of A Photovoltaic Panel In COMSOL Multiphysics
Posted May 6, 2023, 4:54 a.m. EDT Electromagnetics, Heat Transfer Version 3.5a 1 Reply
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I am trying to simulate the shading of a photovoltaic panel in COMSOL Multiphysics, but I am having trouble setting up the model. Does anyone have experience with this type of simulation and can provide some guidance?
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I may not be able to help you with the details, but I am curious about what aspect of the shading of a photovoltaic panel that you wish to actually model. Is it the solid-state physics-level of the behavior of (presumably silicon) solar cells? E.g., are you seeking to generate, from modeling the semiconductor physics, the I-V curves vs. light intensity dependence? If so, here is a link to a relevant paper: https://www.comsol.com/paper/download/256461/nardone_paper.pdf . And here is another, which also talks about shading: https://pubs.aip.org/aip/jap/article/109/2/024507/141237/Investigation-of-electrical-shading-effects-in . Or perhaps, did you want to model illumination (and cloud cover?) vs. time of year? Or is it the reduction in power output due to random shadows on large panels, from swaying (i.e., moving) tree branches? How about power reduction due to unwashed-away leaves or bird droppings (unmoving) covering panels? Since the effects of those depend very much on the connections/wiring configurations of the cells in the panels, you might want to include a circuit simulation. Remember, Comsol is (primarily) a finite-element (FE) code that solves partial differential equations (PDEs) that express various laws of physics, with validities in various (and often limited) regimes. Your post cites the electromagnetics and heat-transfer modules (in the rather old version 3.5; you might want to upgrade to the latest Comsol Multiphysics, and consider if the new semiconducter module -- see https://www.comsol.com/semiconductor-module -- would be helpful to you.) In regard to heat transfer, are you seeking to model the bulk heating of solar cells? Can you identify which laws of physics you wish to apply, and in which regimes (spatial, temporal (steady state vs. transient), etc.) that you seek to perform these calculations? Specifically, what are you seeking to learn? If you can address these questions, you will be much closer to knowing which tools in Comsol Multiphysics you should use, and/or if they are sufficient and appropriate to your purpose. Best regards.
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