Influence of topography on the optical performances of a Fresnel linear asymmetrical concentrator array: The case of the eLLO solar power plant

Abstract

Solar field orientation and inclination are variables that significantly influence the optical performance over the year of Linear Fresnel Collector (LFC). The usual field configuration is a flat north-south (NS) orientation, however, the future development of the LFC sector, for example for solar heat for industry, could more often impose the land choice and therefore the solar field configuration. To study the influence of such configuration on a solar field optical performance, a ray-tracing model was used to evaluate the LFC optical performance for each solar position and a consistent methodology was developed to evaluate the solar position in the module reference system. This method allows studying the optical performance of any LFC array configuration. The paper first looks separately at the influence of orientation and tilt imposed by the topography of the eLLO project, then focuses on the eLLO solar power plant case study. The results of eLLO's solar line simulation showed an increase of 1.6% in annual absorbed energy compared to NS implementation, which is the best orientation for the localization. In conclusion, the design and implementation of modular LFC array can be adapted to a wide range of terrains and can even take advantage of this constraint.