Modeling a Renewable Energy Collector and Prediction in Different Flow Regimes Using CFD

Abstract

A renewable solar parabolic trough collector with water flow condition in the laminar flow zone and turbulence flow zone is simulated and analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. CFD modeling is considered for copper absorber pipe with one half surface of the pipe exposed to direct solar radiation and other half exposed to reflected solar radiation. The modes of heat transfer applicable for the model being conduction heat transfer between the tube metal surface to the circulating water and the mixed convection heat transfer in the circulating water inside the tube. An experimental model was built and experiments were performed at 1 LPM (Laminar zone) and 5 LPM (Turbulence zone) flow rates. To correlate the findings with simulation, a CFD model is developed and the 3-D temperature distribution and velocity distribution inside the collector tube was studied at laminar zone and turbulence zone of the water flow. The model predicted the outlet temperature of the water and the outlet velocity from collector tube in different flow conditions and the same is compared with the experimental data at varying solar radiation and there exists good correlation between them.