Abstract
Photovoltaic (PV) modules commonly employ phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal regulation; however, conventional PCM installation methods often suffer from high thermal resistance and limited convective heat transfer area, thereby restricting their cooling effectiveness. To address these limitations, this study proposes a novel passive thermal management design in which PCM-filled metallic square tubes are press-fitted onto the rear surface of the PV module to ensure direct thermal contact while increasing the effective heat transfer area. A systematic experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate four configurations: an exposed rear surface (baseline), press-fitted hollow aluminum tubes, silicone-bonded PCM tubes, and press-fitted PCM tubes. Key performance metrics, including temperature distribution, instantaneous power output, and daily energy yield, were measured and compared under outdoor conditions. The results show that the proposed press-fitted PCM tube configuration achieves a maximum increase of 11.5% in daily energy yield compared with the baseline module without thermal management, even with a relatively low PCM coverage ratio of 27.5%. This enhancement is attributed to the combined effects of reduced interfacial thermal resistance and improved convective heat dissipation, which delay peak module temperature and provide a dynamic thermal buffering effect during highirradiance periods, thereby maintaining higher electrical conversion efficiency. These findings demonstrate that the proposed design provides an effective and scalable approach for improving PV module performance through passive thermal management, offering strong potential for practical photovoltaic applications.