Development and thermal performance evaluation of solar parabolic dish based on fiber‐reinforced plastic

Abstract

AbstractThis paper illustrates the design and fabrication of a 76° rim angle solar parabolic dish concentrator with low cost based on fiberglass‐reinforced for heating of heat transfer fluid using the hand layup process. Numerous advantages of fiberglass material include corrosion resistance, lightweight, design flexibility, quick installation time, and low cost makes it suitable for fabrication. The concave surface on which the reflective sheets are mounted is made to a high degree of perfection. The design process, as well as the complete fabrication process, are elaborately discussed in this article. The thermal efficiency of the newly constructed fiberglass‐reinforced solar parabolic dish concentrator was assessed by heating the heat transfer fluid in the conical cavity receiver, which was cycled from the sump via a gear pump and flexible stainless steel connecting pipes. The maximum value of heat transfer fluid temperature achieved was 194°C at the sump. The average thermal efficiency achieved for indoor heating at the sump was 17.42%, 17.16%, and 17.21%, respectively, during Experiments 1, 2, and 3. The results indicate that this system is acceptable for indoor cooking in the kitchen, as the system achieves temperatures between 150°C and 194°C.