Yuki Trisnoaji, Singgih Dwi Prasetyo, Zainal Arifin, Aditya Rio Prabowo
The performance of a photovoltaic (solar) system integrated with phase change materials (PV–PCM) was investigated to enhance heat dissipation and electricity generation. Numerical simulations were conducted using ANSYS Fluent to evaluate three types of phase change materials, namely RT-42, sodium phosphate dodecahydrate (Na₂HPO₄·12H₂O), and a sodium nitrate–sodium chloride mixture (NaNO₃–NaCl). In addition, four cavity-fin configurations were analyzed: no cavity, rectangular cavity, trapezoidal cavity, and diamond cavity. The transient simulations were performed for 1800 s under a solar irradiance of 1021 W/m2, with emphasis on the temperature distribution, PCM melting behavior, and electrical and thermal efficiencies. The results demonstrated that the NaNO₃–NaCl configuration achieved the highest electrical efficiency of 12.90% and thermal efficiency of 12.12%, particularly when combined with the rectangular cavity design. Sodium phosphate dodecahydrate exhibited moderate performance, yielding electrical and thermal efficiencies of 12.78% and 10.21%, respectively. In contrast, RT-42 showed the lowest performance, with electrical and thermal efficiencies of 12.64% and 6.97%, respectively. Statistical analysis using ANOVA confirmed that PCM type significantly influenced system efficiencies and highlighted the effect of cavity geometry on thermal behavior. Distinct melting patterns of the PCMs were observed, with the rectangular cavity producing the highest melting fraction in most cases. In contrast, the absence of a cavity slightly enhanced the electrical efficiency of the NaNO₃–NaCl system. Although the obtained efficiencies were lower than those reported for advanced PV cooling systems employing nanofluids, the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the proposed configuration were emphasized. It is worth noting that the present study is limited to numerical simulations under fixed irradiation conditions and does not account for long-term operation, environmental variability, or comprehensive economic and environmental assessments. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Power Plant Engineering Technology, State University of Malang, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, 57126, Indonesia
