Impact of DC-DC Converters on the Energy Performance of a Dense Concentrator PV Array under Nonuniform Irradiance and Temperature Profiles

Álvaro Fernández, Joana Rosell-Mirmi, Desideri Regany (), Montse Vilarrubí, Jérôme Barrau, Manel Ibañez and Joan Rosell-Urrutia
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Álvaro Fernández: Sustainable Energy, Machinery and Buildings (SEMB) Research Group, University of Lleida, c/Pere de Cabrera n° 3, 25001 Lleida, Spain
Joana Rosell-Mirmi: Sustainable Energy, Machinery and Buildings (SEMB) Research Group, University of Lleida, c/Pere de Cabrera n° 3, 25001 Lleida, Spain
Desideri Regany: Sustainable Energy, Machinery and Buildings (SEMB) Research Group, University of Lleida, c/Pere de Cabrera n° 3, 25001 Lleida, Spain
Montse Vilarrubí: Sustainable Energy, Machinery and Buildings (SEMB) Research Group, University of Lleida, c/Pere de Cabrera n° 3, 25001 Lleida, Spain
Jérôme Barrau: Sustainable Energy, Machinery and Buildings (SEMB) Research Group, University of Lleida, c/Pere de Cabrera n° 3, 25001 Lleida, Spain
Manel Ibañez: Sustainable Energy, Machinery and Buildings (SEMB) Research Group, University of Lleida, c/Pere de Cabrera n° 3, 25001 Lleida, Spain
Joan Rosell-Urrutia: Sustainable Energy, Machinery and Buildings (SEMB) Research Group, University of Lleida, c/Pere de Cabrera n° 3, 25001 Lleida, Spain

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: Efficiency losses resulting from electrical mismatching in densely packed photovoltaic arrays present a significant challenge, particularly exacerbated in nonuniformly illuminated receivers and under varying temperatures. Serial configurations are particularly susceptible to radiation nonuniformities, while parallel systems are negatively affected by temperature variations. Various authors have recommended the incorporation of electrical voltage and current sources to mitigate these losses. This study explores different electrical connection configurations utilizing concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cells and DC-DC electrical current converters. A self-adaptive microfluidic cell matrix cooling system is employed to mitigate thermal dispersion caused by the highly nonuniform illumination profile. The obtained results for each configuration are compared with the total electrical power produced by individual cells, operating under identical radiation and temperature conditions to those of the entire array. The results reveal a noteworthy increase in production across all studied configurations, with the parallel–series arrangement demonstrating the most promising practical utility. This configuration exhibited a remarkable 50.75% increase in power production compared with the standard series connection.

Keywords: high-concentration photovoltaics; mismatch losses; solar cell polarization; nonuniform illumination; self-adaptive microfluidic cell cooling system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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