Abstract
The design of solar concentrating collectors for the effective utilization of solar energy is a challenging condition due to tracking errors leading to different divergences of the solar incidence angle. To enhance the optical performance of solar parabolic trough collectors (SPTC) under a diverged solar incidence angle, an additional compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) is introduced as a secondary reflector. SPTC with CPC is designed and modeled for a single axis-tracking concentrating collector based on the local ambient conditions. In this work, the optical performance of the novel SPTC system with and without a secondary reflector is investigated using MATLAB and TRACEPRO software simulations for various tracking errors. The significance parameters such as the solar incidence angle, aperture length, receiver tube diameter, rim angle, concentration ratio, solar radiation, and absorbed flux are analyzed. The simulation results show that the rate of the absorbed flux on the receiver tube is significantly improved by providing the secondary reflector, which enhances the optical efficiency of the collector. It is found that the optical efficiency of the SPTC with a secondary reflector is 20% higher than the conventional collector system for a solar incidence angle of 2°. This work can effectively direct the choice of optimal secondary reflectors for SPTC under different design and operating conditions.
Highlights
Renewable energy resources are the primary form of alternative energy for fossil fuels
It is found that the increment in the solar incidence angle due to imperfect tracking of solar parabolic trough collectors (SPTC) towards the sun movement leads to an increase in the receiver tube diameter
An analysis was conducted by varying the rim angle of the primary reflector of SPTC and varying the incidence angle of the solar rays
Summary
Renewable energy resources are the primary form of alternative energy for fossil fuels. Among the various resources of renewable energy, solar energy is the main form of alternative energy for fossil fuels. It provides a healthy and clean environment with economic and ethical benefits to the world. The solar parabolic trough collector is a type of solar thermal collector that is used to heat the working fluid. It can be realistic for low, medium, and high-temperature applications due to its nature of focused tube heating arrangement
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