Effect of inclination on the performance of CPC solar energy collectors

Abstract

A theoretical numerical model of thermal transfer in a line-axis, symmetric, compound parabolic concentrating solar energy collector (CPC) is presented. The effect of the angle of axial inclination of an east-west aligned CPC and hence the effect of the latitudinal and tracking configuration of the CPC system on performance is investigated. The angle of inclination is taken into consideration in the determination of both internal and external convective heat transfer. The convective, radiative, conductive and overall heat transfer coefficients and system efficiency for various angles of inclination, concentration ratios and insolations was determined, and are presented as graphs of heat transfer variation and Hottel-Whillier-Bliss characteristic curves respectively.