To determine an optimized T-shaped heat sink design for improving thermal management, this paper focuses on a two-dimensional model of a photovoltaic-phase change material system. The design of this model is divided into three groups. The first group (baseline case – case 4) includes configurations without fins, straight fins, and T-shaped fins. The second group is based on case 4, changing the relevant length dimensions of the fins while maintaining the total area and thickness of the fins to determine the optimal specifications of the T-shaped fins. The third group is based on cases 6, 7, and 8, studying the impact of different inclination angles between the fins and the cavity wall on the thermal performance of the system. The results of the study are as follows: (1). The reliability of the present simulation was verified by comparing the methodology with experimental data from Mahdi et al. (2). Adding fins shortens the melting time of the phase change material. The single rectangular fin and the double rectangular fin reduce the melting time by 5.7% and 4.4% respectively, while the T-shaped fin reduces the melting time by 6.1% to 19.0%. Among them, the rapid melting performance of case 17 is the most outstanding. (3). Compared with the case without fins, all configurations with fins extended the stable temperature control time of the photovoltaic wall by approximately 25 min. Except for Case 4, the surface temperature of the photovoltaic panels with T-shaped fins was lower than that of the ones with rectangular fins. (4). Flow-field analysis indicates that in PV–PCM systems, different fin structures and the thermal storage properties of the fins initially suppress natural convection but enhance convective heat transfer during the mid-to-late melting stages. (5). Adjustments to horizontal and vertical fin lengths influence performance differently. Longer vertical fins near the heated wall promote earlier conduction and convection but have limited influence on PV panel temperature control. In contrast, longer horizontal fins positioned farther from the heated wall, particularly with smaller inclination angles, considerably reduce PCM melting time and PV panel surface temperature. • Fourteen modified T-shaped fin models were designed by varying fin dimensions and the angle (β) with the heated wall for optimized heat transfer. • Fin structures initially suppress natural convection but enhance convective heat transfer during the later stages of PCM melting. • Performance variations: longer horizontal fins, especially at smaller angles, significantly reduce PCM melting time and lower PV panel temperatures. • Finned configurations extended the PV wall’s stable temperature-control period by about 25 min compared to the unfinned case. To address the low thermal conductivity of phase change materials (PCMs) and enhance heat absorption from photovoltaic (PV) panel surfaces, thereby extending PV panel service life, this study employs a two-dimensional numerical model. The total fin surface area was kept constant while varying the lengths of horizontal and vertical fins and the inclination angle between the fins and the PV wall to identify an optimal T-shaped fin design for improved thermal management. The results indicate that conventional rectangular fins, T-shaped fins, modifications to horizontal and vertical fin lengths, and adjustments to the inclination angle of the horizontal tin of T-shaped fins relative to the heated wall generally reduce the surface temperature of PV modules (except Case 4) and considerably shorten PCM melting time. Compared with the baseline unfinned system, conventional rectangular fins reduced melting time by 4.4%–5.7%, whereas T-shaped fins of various designs achieved reductions of 6.1%–19.0%, with Case 17 showing the optimal performance. Furthermore, all finned configurations extended the stable temperature-control period of the PV wall surface by approximately 25 min, except for Case 4, which exhibited a shorter duration.
Ren et al. (Sun,) studied this question.