Experimental study of phase change material heat sinks coupled with Cantor fractal fins for thermal management of photovoltaic systems

•Cantor fins were designed on constraints of equal volume and equal area.•Temperature reduction of 12.2°C on the PV panel could be achieved by Cantor fins.•Cantor fins could improve wall temperature uniformity compared to rectangular fins.•Cantor fins could exhibit a faster total melting time than rectangular fins.•Equal volume constraint is more favorable to the performance of Cantor fins.