Abstract

A wide range of engineering industrial applications require both the thermal and optical efficiencies of the system to be maximized with a reasonable low penalty for the friction factor and subsequently low losses in pressure. Among the family of concentrated solar power systems, parabolic trough collectors (PTCs), which have recently received significant attention, face similar challenges. The current work presents an extensive review of the PTC systems comparing recent and past technologies, which are widely being used to improve and enhance the thermal and optical efficiencies. Furthermore, the techniques used for single and two-phase flow modeling in numerical simulations, design variables, and experimental processes have been discussed in detail. The article also presents different numerical methods and analytical approaches of implementing the nonuniform solar distribution with different design parameters. Four main technologies are comprehensively addressed to effectively enhance the thermal performance of the PTCs; changing working heat transfer fluids, replacing the working fluids by nanofluids (single and hybrid) that have higher thermal–physical properties than those of base working fluids, inserting different tabulators with various design configurations, and finally combining the advantages of nanofluids and swirl generators in the same application. The article also critically summarizes the studies investigating the enhancement of thermal performance: use of novel design of PTCs and passive heat transfer enhancement techniques. Finally, a wide range of numerical and experimental studies are proposed for the future work related to the aforementioned main technologies.

Highlights

  • Summary A wide range of engineering industrial applications require both the thermal and optical efficiencies of the system to be maximized with a reasonable low penalty for the friction factor and subsequently low losses in pressure

  • The current work presents an extensive review of the parabolic trough collectors (PTCs) systems comparing recent and past technologies, which are widely being used to improve and enhance the thermal and optical efficiencies

  • The article critically summarizes the studies investigating the enhancement of thermal performance: use of novel design of PTCs and passive heat transfer enhancement techniques

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Summary

| INTRODUCTION

It is widely known that global warming has become a defining issue of our time, with consequences that include shifting weather patterns, rising sea levels, and compromised food production. The main objective of this article is to critically review experimental and numerical investigations carried out on the thermal and optical performances of PTC systems, focusing on reducing the thermal losses, reducing pumping power requirements, and enhancing the thermal efficiency by changing the working fluid, using nanofluids (single and hybrid) or by inserting swirl generators inside the absorber tubes. Another important objective is to discuss in details the effect of collector design on the thermal and optical performances taking into account shape parameters, mirror structure, absorber design, tracking system, absorber ends, absorber materials, and envelope characteristics.

| LITERATURE REVIEW OF PTCS
Limitations
| Design parametric investigations of PTCs
10 | CONCLUSIONS
Findings
Dielektrizitätskonstanten Und Leitfähigkeiten Der
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