Characterization of a Parabolic trough Collector for Process Heat Applications

Abstract

In this paper we present experimental investigations on a parabolic trough collector for process heat applications under development which has an aperture width of about 1.845 m. The collector which is installed at the SPF outdoor test laboratory has a length of 10 m. As a final goal, our investigations aim at the possibility to elaborate a valid efficiency curve of the collector from measurements of the optical behavior on the one hand (η0-measurements, efficiency measurements carried out at low and high operating temperatures) and on the other hand heat loss measurements of the receiver, carried out at high collector operating temperatures. This paper reports on preliminary results of collector efficiency measurements carried out for collector operating temperatures up to about 200°C and on measurements to determine the incidence angle modifier curve (IAM) using steady state measurements conditions. This paper is an addition to a prior publication [2]. There the collector size was smaller and our new test rig was not yet available.