Improving Heat Transfer in Parabolic Trough Solar Collectors by Magnetic Nanofluids

A parabolic trough solar collector(PTSC)converts solar radiation into thermal energy.However,low thermal efficiency of PTSC poses a hindrance to the deployment of solar thermal power plants.Thermal performance of PTSC is enhanced in this study by incorporating magnetic nanoparticles into the working fluid.The circular receiver pipe,with dimensions of 66 mm diameter,2 mm thickness,and 24 m length,is exposed to uniform temperature and velocity conditions.The working fluid,Therminol-66,is supplemented with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles at concentrations ranging from 1%to 4%.The findings demonstrate that the inclusion of nanoparticles increases the convective heat transfer coefficient(HTC)of the PTSC,with higher nanoparticle volume fractions leading to greater heat transfer but increased pressure drop.The thermal enhancement factor(TEF)of the PTSC is positively affected by the volume fraction of nanoparticles,both with and without a magnetic field.Notably,the scenario with a 4%nanoparticle volume fraction and a magnetic field strength of 250 G exhibits the highest TEF,indicating superior thermal performance.These findings offer potential avenues for improving the efficiency of PTSCs in solar thermal plants by introducing magnetic nanoparticles into the working fluid.

Investigative Review of Design Techniques of Parabolic Trough Solar Collectors

Parabolic trough solar collectors(PTCs)are among the most cost-efficient solar thermal technologies.They have several applications,such as feed heaters,boilers,steam generators,and electricity generators.A PTC is a concentrated solar power system that uses parabolic reflectors to focus sunlight onto a tube filled with heattransfer fluid.PTCs performance can be investigated using optical and thermal mathematical models.These models calculate the amount of energy entering the receiver,the amount of usable collected energy,and the amount of heat loss due to convection and radiation.There are several methods and configurations that have been developed so far;however,it is usually difficult for a designer to choose the appropriate method or configuration for his application.The present work investigates different PTC configurations and methods of solution,compares their efficiency and accuracy,summarizes their key behaviors and trends,and improves the available methods by maximizing the positives and minimizing the negatives among them.We investigated three methods and seven configurations.The findings suggest that optimizing the collector structure,tracking system,and reflector can lead to high PTC performance and reduced capital costs.After investigating and comparing the recent mathematical models,the study identified a clear deficiency in estimating the output temperature.Three PTC’s solution methods are investigated,and a novel method is developed to give more accurate estimations of the output temperature.

Design and Analysis of Parabolic Trough Solar Water Heating System

Renewable energy technology is one of the prospective sources which can meet the energy demand and can contribute to achieve sustainable development goals.Concentrated collectors are widely used in solar thermal power generation and water heating system also.It is very popular due to its high thermal efficiency,simple construction requirements and low manufacturing cost.This paper is concerned with an experimental study of parabolic trough collector for water heating technology.It focuses on the performance of concentrating solar collector by changing the reflector materials(aluminum sheet,aluminum foil and mirror film).In Bangladesh,it is possible to use low cost solar concentrating technologies for domestic as well as industrial process heat applications.The line focusing parabolic trough collectors have been designed,developed and evaluated its performance by collecting solar radiation,inlet and outlet water temperature,flow rate,efficiency etc.

Life cycle cost analysis of new FRP based solar parabolic trough collector hot water generation system

Parabolic trough collectors （PTCs） are employed for a variety of applications including steam generation and hot water generation. This paper deals with the experimental results and an economic analysis of a new fibre reinforced plastic （FRP） based solar PTC with an embedded electronic controlled tracking system designed and developed for hot water generation in a restaurant in Madurai, India. The new collector performance has been tested according to ASHRAE Standard 93 （1986）. The performance of a new PTC hot water generation system with a well mixed hot water storage tank is investigated by a series of extensive tests over ten months period. The average maximum storage tank water temperature observed was 74.91℃, when no energy is withdrawn from the tank to the load during the collection period. The total cost of the new economic FRP based solar PTC for hot water generation with an embedded electronic controlled tracking system is Rs. 25000 （US$ 573） only. In the present work, life cycle savings （LCS） method is employed for a detailed economic analysis of the PTC system. A computer program is used as a tool for the economic analysis. The present worth of life cycle solar savings is evaluated for the new solar PTC hot water generation system that replaces an existing electric water heating system in the restaurant and attains a value of Rs. 23171.66 after 15 years, which is a significant saving. The LCS method and the MATLAB computer simulation program presented in this paper can be used to estimate the LCS of other renewable energy systems.

Thermal Analysis and Experimental Validation of Parabolic Trough Collector for Solar Adsorption Refrigerator

This work presents an algorithm able to simulate the heating of a solar collector throughout the day. The discussed collector is part of a solar adsorption refrigerator, and is used to regenerate the activated carbon contained inside a cylindrical recipient (absorber), which is located in the focal line of a parabolic trough concentrator. The developed algorithm takes into account all the transfer mechanisms when analyzing the heat transfers taking place between the collector’s components and the environment, as well as the transfer mechanisms towards the absorber’s interior. The temperature evolution for the collector’s elements is obtained, and the model is validated by comparing the experimentally measured surface temperature of the absorber with the one determined by the algorithm. The experimental data were gathered from similar collectors in two different scenarios: Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and Buenos Aires (Argentina). The model is satisfactorily validated with experimental data.

Design and performance investigation of modified dual reflector parabolic trough collector with double planar mirrors

In a typical parabolic trough collector(PTC), sunlight is concentrated at the bottom of the absorber tube. This concentrated solar flux leads to uneven heat distribution, resulting in high local temperatures and significant thermal stress on the absorber tube.These limitations have restricted the application of PTCs in solar thermochemistry and other fields and have impacted their safe operation. In this study, a new PTC with dual planar mirrors(DPMS) is proposed to homogenize the circumferential solar flux distribution of the absorber tube. A design method and single-objective optimization of the new PTC with a DPMS are proposed,and an uncertainty analysis of the operational and structural parameters is performed. A coupled light-heat-structure numerical model was developed to study the heat transfer performance and structural mechanical properties. The thermodynamic properties of the PTC with DPMS under different boundary conditions were analyzed. The results show that the circumferential temperature difference of the new PTC is within 2.6 K, and the circumferential thermal deformation is within 0.9 mm under typical working conditions(the inlet velocity of the heat transfer fluid is 3 m/s, inlet temperature is 573.15 K, and the direct normal irradiance is 1000 W/m^(2)). Compared with conventional PTCs, the circumferential temperature difference is reduced by 74%–90%, and the maximum thermal deformation along the y-axis is reduced by more than 95% under all working conditions(1–5 m/s, 373.5–675.15 K, 200–1000 W/m^(2)). The new PTC maintains the uniformity of the circumferential solar flux distribution for different operating parameters(sun incident angle of 0°–3°) and installation errors(±3 mm), is suitable for solar energy applications in various fields, and has the potential for large-scale applications.

Exploring the influence of optical and thermal parameters on the effectiveness of parabolic trough collector receiver units

This study investigates the optimization of physical parameters in a parabolic trough collector receiver unit to improve its thermal and optical performance.The parameters include the transmissivity,reflectivity,absorptivity,emissivity and thermal conductivity of the outer cover and absorber pipe.This study utilizes a novel experimental design and a simulation model that accounts for the infrared reflectivity inside the receiver.The simulation results were validated by the experimental data,with a maximum deviation of 8%.The study analyses the effects of varying the physical parameters on the heat transfer fluid temperature,total plant efficiency,temperature profiles,temperature gradients and thermal stress.The study finds that increasing the reflectivity and decreasing the emissivity of the outer cover and the absorber pipe significantly enhance the performance,with maximum increases of 25.8%and 26.5%in total efficiency,respectively.The study also finds that increasing the thermal conductivity of the absorber pipe reduces the temperature gradients and thermal stress,with maximum decreases of 42.2%and 29%,respectively.This study provides valuable insights for optimizing the receiver design and operation in solar-thermal systems.

Performance Evaluation of Short Parabolic Trough Collectors Integrated with a Small-Scale Solar Power and Heating System

An investigation is presented on the performance of a small-scale solar power and heating system with short parabolic trough collectors(PTCs). The steady-state model of the short PTCs is evaluated with outside experiments. The model mainly contains the heat loss of the receiver, the peak optical efficiency and the incident angle factor consisting of incident angle modifier and end loss. It is found that the end loss effect is essential in this model when the length of the PTCs is less than 48 m, especially in the winter. The standard deviation of the steady-state model is 1.4%. Moreover, the potential energy efficiency ratio of the solar power and heating system is considerably larger than the coefficient of performance(COP) of general air-source heat pumps, and increases with the decrease of the condensation temperature. An overall system efficiency of 49% can be reached. Lastly,the existence of a water storage tank improves the flexibility of heating the building, and the volume of the water storage tank decreases with the increase of the heating water temperature.

Study of a Parabolic Trough Adequate for the CERER Site （Dakar-Senegal）

This study presents the modeling of a parabolic trough solar collector. The main objective is to show the influences of the parabolic trough sensor effective efficiency （concentrator optical efflciencies of transmission, reflection, geometrical and the receiver absorption coefficient）, of its length, of the mass flow rate on temperatures distributions of the heat fluid and the receiver and on thermal global efficiency （solar conversion efficiency into energy usable）. The atmospheric parameters are those of Senegal in April. A prototype existing in the CERER （Center of Studies and Research on Renewable Energies） （Dakar-Senegal） is given as example of application.

Performance analyses of a novel finned parabolic trough receiver with inner tube for solar cascade heat collection

Designing highly-efficient parabolic trough receiver(PTR)contributes to promoting solar thermal utilization and alleviating energy crisis and environmental problems.A novel finned PTR with inner tube(FPTR-IT),which can provide different grades of thermal energy with two heat transfer fluids(oil and water),is designed to improve thermal efficiency.In this FPTR-IT,an inner tube and straight fins are employed to respectively lessen heat loss at upper and lower parts of the absorber.Based on the design,a numerical model is developed to investigate its performance.Comparisons with other PTRs indicate that the FPTR-IT can combine the advantages of PTR with inner tube and finned PTR and obtain the best performance.Moreover,performance evaluation under broad ranges of direct normal irradiances(300–1000 W/m^(2)),flow rates(50–250 L/min)and inlet temperatures(400–600 K)of oil as well as flow rates(3.6–10 L/min)and inlet temperatures(298.15–318.15 K)of water is investigated.Compared with conventional PTR,heat loss is reduced by 20.7%–63.2%and total efficiency is improved by 0.03%–4.27%.Furthermore,the proportions of heat gains for water and oil are located in 8.3%–73.9%and-12.0%–64.3%,while their temperature gains are located in 11.6–37.9 K and-1.2–19.6 K,respectively.Thus,the proposed FPTR-IT may have a promising application prospect in remote arid areas or islands to provide different grades of heat for electricity and freshwater production.

Off-Design Simulation of a CSP Power Plant Integrated with aWaste Heat Recovery System

Concentrating Solar Power(CSP)plants offer a promising way to generate low-emission energy.However,these plants face challenges such as reduced sunlight during winter and cloudy days,despite being located in high solar radiation areas.Furthermore,their dispatch capacities and yields can be affected by high electricity consumption,particularly at night.The present work aims to develop an off-design model that evaluates the hourly and annual performances of a parabolic trough power plant(PTPP)equipped with a waste heat recovery system.The study aims to compare the performances of this new layout with those of the conventional Andasol 1 plant,with the aim of assessing the improvements achieved in the new design.Based on the results,it can be concluded that the new layout has increased the annual generated power to almost 183 GWh(an increase of about 7.60% is achieved compared to the Andasol 1 layout that generates 169 GWh annually).Additionally,the proposed installation has achieved an efficiency of 20.55%,which represents a 7.87% increase compared to the previous design(19.05%).The Levelized Cost of Electricity(LCOE)of the new layout has been reduced by more than 5.8% compared to the Andasol 1 plant.Specifically,it has decreased from 13.11 to 12.35 c/kWh.This reduction in LCOE highlights the improved cost-effectiveness of the newlayout,making it amore economically viable option for generating electricity compared to the conventional Andasol 1 plant.

计及AA-CAES与PTC集成的综合能源系统运行优化与性能分析

为进一步发挥综合能源系统的多能互补优势,提出一种计及先进绝热压缩空气储能(AA-CAES)与槽式太阳能集热器(PTC)集成的综合能源系统(IES-PTC-CAES)优化运行策略。首先,对AA-CAES、PTC以及系统中其他设备进行分析并建立相应模型;进而以经济性、环保性和能效性为优化目标,以设备运行的关键参数为优化变量,基于分时电价建立了协同优化策略,并通过K-means算法将模拟出的典型年负荷聚类为典型日负荷;最终,使用并行式的遗传算法对系统进行寻优,得到不同目标下IES-PTC-CAES的最优运行策略。结果表明:与参考系统相比,IES-PTC-CAES系统经济目标下总成本降低了14.61万元,环保目标下二氧化碳排放量减少了6194.38 kg。

A design method and numerical study for a new type parabolic trough solar collector with uniform solar flux distribution

The non-uniform concentrated solar flux distribution on the outer surface of the absorber tube can lead to large circumferential temperature difference and high local temperature of the absorber tube wall,which is one of the primary causes of parabolic trough solar receiver(PTR)failures.In this paper,a secondary reflector used as a homogenizing reflector(HR)in a conventional parabolic trough solar collector(PTSC)was recommended to homogenize the solar flux distribution and thus increase the reliability of the PTR.The design method of this new type PTSC with a HR was also proposed.Meanwhile,the concentrated solar flux distribution was calculated by adopting the Monte Carlo ray-trace(MCRT)method.Then,the coupled heat transfer process within the PTR was simulated by treating the solar flux calculated by the MCRT method as the heat flux boundary condition for the finite volume method model.The solar flux distribution on the outer surface of the absorber tube,the temperature field of the absorber tube wall,and the collector efficiency were analyzed in detail.It was revealed that the absorber tube could almost be heated uniformly in the PTSC with a HR.As a result,the circumferential temperature difference and the maximum temperature could be reduced significantly,while the efficiency tended to decrease slightly due to the inevitably increased optical loss.Under the conditions studied in this paper,although the collector efficiency decreased by about 4%,the circumferential temperature difference was reduced from about 25 to 3 K and the maximum temperature was reduced from667 to 661 K.

Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Parabolic Trough Solar Receiver using Longitudinal Fins and Nanofluids

In this paper,we present a three dimensional numerical investigation of heat transfer in a parabolic trough collector receiver with longitudinal fins using different kinds of nanofluid,with an operational temperature of 573 K and nanoparticle concentration of 1% in volume.The outer surface of the absorber receives a non-uniform heat flux,which is obtained by using the Monte Carlo ray tracing technique.The numerical results are contrasted with empirical results available in the open literature.A significant improvement of heat transfer is derived when the Reynolds number varies in the range 2.57×104≤ Re≤ 2.57×105,the tube-side Nusselt number increases from 1.3 to 1.8 times,also the metallic nanoparticles improve heat transfer greatly than other nanoparticles,combining both mechanisms provides better heat transfer and higher thermo-hydraulic performance.

Experimental investigation on a parabolic trough solar collector for thermal power generation

Developing solar thermal power technology in an effective manner is a great challenge in China.In this paper an experiment platform of a parabolic trough solar collector system(PTCS) was developed for thermal power generation,and the performance of the PTCS was experimentally investigated with synthetic oil as the circulate heat transfer fluid(HTF).The solar collector's efficiency with the variation of the solar flux and the flow rate of the HTF was identified.The collector efficiency of the PTCS can be in the range of 40%-60%.It was also found that there existed a specified delay for the temperature of the HTF to response to the solar flux,which played a significant role in designing the PTCS.The heat loss effect on collector efficiency was also studied,which was about 220 W/m for the receiver with a 180°C temperature difference between the collector temperature and the ambient temperature,amounting to about 10% of the total solar energy incident on the collector.The encouraging results can provide fundamental data for developing the parabolic trough solar thermal power plant in China.

Characteristics of the transient thermal load and deformation of the evacuated receiver in solar parabolic trough collector

As a core element in solar parabolic trough collector, the evaluated receiver often runs under severe thermal conditions. Worse still, the transient thermal load is more likely to cause structural deformation and damage. This work develops an efficient transient multi-level multi-dimensional(M2) analysis method to address photo-thermal-elastic problems, thereby estimating transient thermal load and deformation for the receiver:(i) one-dimensional(1-D) thermo-hydraulic model is adopted to determine the transient thermo-hydraulic state,(ii) 3-D finite volume method(FVM) model for the receiver tube is established to obtain the real-time temperature distribution,(iii) 3-D finite element method(FEM) model is employed to make thermoelastic analysis. Based on this M2 method, the typical transient cases are conducted in cold-start, disturbed-operation and regulatedprocess. Three indicators(average temperature of the wall(ATW), radial temperature difference(RTD), circumferential temperature difference(CTD)) are defined for overall analysis of the receiver thermal load. It is found that in the transient process,receivers face response delay and endure significant thermal load fluctuation. The response time for a single HCE(heat collecting element) under lower mass flow rate(1.5 kg s-1) could sustain 280 s. During the cold-start stage(DNI=200 W m-2 to 800 W m-2), the maximum value of CTD in receiver is as high as 11.67℃, corresponding to a maximum deflection of 1.05 cm.When the mass flow rate decreases sharply by 80%, the CTD reaches 33.04℃, causing a 2.06-cm deflection. It should be pointed out that in the cold-start stage and the lower mass flow rate operation for solar parabolic trough collector, alleviating the transient thermal load and deformation is of importance for safely and efficiently running evaluated receiver.

Selective Absorber Coatings and Technological Advancements in Performance Enhancement for Parabolic Trough Solar Collector

Parabolic trough solar collector systems are the most advanced concentrating solar power technology for large-scale power generation purposes. The current work reviews various selective coating materials and their characteristics for different designs in concentrating solar power. Solar selective absorbing coatings collect solar radiation and convert it to heat. To promote higher efficiency and lower energy costs at higher temperatures requires, this study aims to analyse the fundamental chemistry and thermal stability of some key coatings currently being used and even under investigation to find reasons for differences, information gaps and potential for improvement in results. In recent years, several novel and useful solar absorber coatings have been developed. However, qualification test methods such as corrosion resistance, thermal stability testing and prediction of service life, which have essential technical value for large-scale solar absorbers, are lacking. Coatings are used to enhance the performance of reflectors and absorbers in terms of quality, efficiency, maintenance and cost. Differentiated coatings are required as there are no uniformly perfect materials in various applications, working conditions and material variations. Much more knowledge of the physical and chemical properties and durability of the coatings is required, which will help prevent failures that could not be discovered previously.

槽式太阳能聚光集热器热力学分析及聚光集热系统动态特性仿真

槽式太阳能聚光集热器是槽式集热系统关键部件之一,因此对其热力学性能分析至关重要。利用分布参数法构建了集热器的一维稳态模型,分别研究了熔盐进口流量、日照辐射量、环形空间压力等因素对集热器的火积耗散率、熵产率、(火用)损失率以及热损失率的影响。结果发现火积耗散率和熵产率均随熔盐进口流量、发射率的增大而减小,随日照辐射量增大而增大。当日照辐射量增大67%时,火积耗散率和熵产率分别增大191.4%和177.7%;(火用)损失率随各个参数的变化趋势与熵产率基本相同;热损失率随熔盐进口流量、环境温度的增大而减小,随日照辐射量、环形空间压力、环境风速、发射率的增大而增大,并且发射率影响最大,当发射率增大28.6%时,热损失率增大18.9%。同时为探究集热系统的动态特性,构建了双罐集热系统和单罐集热系统的动态仿真模型并进行仿真计算,结果发现双罐系统的动态响应时间要明显长于单罐系统;熔盐罐的数量和位置仅会对初始阶段系统的动态响应造成影响,不会对稳定时系统各部件工质出口温度造成影响。从火积耗散率和熵产率2个角度对系统进行了分析,结果表明:换热器的火积耗散率与熵产率均随时间先增大后保持不变,集热器以及熔盐罐的火积耗散率与熵产率均随时间先减小后保持不变。

抛物槽式真空管太阳能集热器强化相变蓄热的模拟研究

为了提高抛物槽式真空管太阳能集热器相变材料导热性能,设计了一种相变材料埋置金属泡沫与半圆管型强化换热结构相结合的真空管太阳能集热器,利用FLUENT软件对其蓄热过程中的传热进行了数值模拟,分析了热流密度分布非均匀的情况下在相变材料中集成翅片和金属泡沫对相变材料液态分数的影响.

抛物面槽式太阳能集热器球形接头测试系统的研制与应用

球形接头是抛物面槽式太阳能集热器的关键部件,针对球形接头易发生运转卡涩和导热油泄漏问题,研制了一套球形接头性能测试系统。该测试系统可以实现球形接头在旋转、摆转或旋摆联动模式下,以及在导热油温度达393℃和压力达4.1 MPa工况条件下的加速寿命测试。以导热油为传热流体,开展了球形接头在导热油温度为393℃和压力为2.3 MPa工况条件,以及温度、压力变化条件下的性能测试研究,分析了球形接头在模拟12年寿命期的扭矩特性和密封性能,验证了该测试系统运行的稳定性和可靠性,并且关键技术参数的控制精度和测量精度满足使用要求,为球形接头的性能评价提供了技术支撑。