Enhancing Electrical Power Generation of Solar Panel Through Paraffin Layer Embedded with Metal Foam and Nanoparticles

This study presents a detailed numerical study of the melting behavior and thermal performance of a paraffin-based cooling layer integrated beneath a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel to improve its electrical efficiency and thermal stability.Since excessive temperature rise is one of the major factors responsible for reducing the performance and lifespan of PV systems, the development of efficient passive cooling technologies has become increasingly important in modern renewable energy applications.In the present study, paraffin-based phase change material (PCM) is employed as a thermal energy storage medium owing to its capability to absorb the excess heat produced by the PV panel during operation.To improve conductive heat transport and quicken the melting process, ternary hybrid nanoparticles composed of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and Ag are dispersed into the paraffin, while porous metal foam is incorporated inside the PCM container to provide highly conductive pathways for thermal diffusion.The simultaneous incorporation of hybrid nanoparticles and porous metal foam markedly improves the thermal response of the cooling layer, thereby enhancing the system's ability to regulate the operating temperature of the PV panel under working conditions.The numerical simulations are carried out using the Galerkin method, while adaptive mesh refinement and an implicit solution technique are employed to accurately capture the transient melting behavior and phase transition process within the PCM enclosure.The obtained results indicate that integrating porous metal foam together with ternary nanoparticles significantly enhances the overall thermal performance of the cooling system.The liquid fraction (LF) of the PCM increases by approximately 33.11%, indicating a significant enhancement in the melting rate and thermal energy absorption capability.Furthermore, the enhanced cooling configuration reduces the PV panel temperature by nearly 1.98% compared with the conventional case.As a consequence of the improved thermal regulation, the electrical efficiency of the PV panel increases by about 20.87% relative to the uncooled PV system.These findings confirm that integrating nano-enhanced PCM with porous metal foam provides a highly promising passive cooling strategy for improving the performance, reliability, and energy conversion efficiency of next-generation PV systems.