Investigating the influence of longitudinal tilt angles on the performance of small scale linear Fresnel reflectors for urban applications

Abstract

The potential use of the small scale linear Fresnel reflectors in building applications can help European Union countries meet their sustainable development goals. The sizing of a small scale linear Fresnel reflector directly influences its primary cost as well as the annual energy output and, hence, its financial attractiveness. In addition, the area required for its installation is a critical parameter in most of the urban applications. This paper presents the analysis of the effects of the longitudinal inclination of the rows of mirrors and/or the absorber tube on the performance of small scale linear Fresnel reflectors. The effect of three parameters (i.e. energy absorbed by the absorber tube, energy area ratio, and primary cost) is evaluated for five cities in European Union. Different combinations of longitudinal tilt angles are analyzed and compared with the typical configuration of a large scale linear Fresnel reflector. Numerical simulations were carried out using a MATLAB code to calculate the energy absorbed by the absorber tube, the energy area ratio, and the primary cost. The comparison of the configurations provided insight into how latitude impacts on the results. It will be demonstrated that the energy absorbed by the absorber tube increase strongly with longitudinal tilt angles, and the primary cost increases weakly with longitudinal tilt angles, while the energy-to-area ratio decreases.