Performance evaluation of a parabolic trough collector with a uniform helical wire coil flow insert

Abstract

Solar energy is an extremely useful and dependable renewable energy source for meeting our society's diverse energy demands. Solar concentrator-based energy systems are currently the most efficient methods of using solar energy. Among these technologies, the parabolic trough collector is a mature and effective concentrating solar power technology with a wide range of real-world applications using solar alone or in combination with other energy sources. Flow insert is a potential approach for improving parabolic trough solar collector performance through enhanced heat transfer and heat absorption. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of using a uniform helical wire coil flow insert in the LS-2 parabolic trough solar collector module. A computational fluid dynamic model developed in Ansys 18.1 is used in the current investigation. A uniform helical wire coil flow insert is modeled and compared with the plain tube without any insert inside it. Flow analysis, overall efficiency, exergy efficiency, and thermal efficiency are compared in the evaluation process. The overall efficiency and exergy efficiency of the parabolic trough collector are the most critical criteria in determining its performance. The parabolic trough collector is examined using a range of inlet fluid temperatures ranging from 303 K to 603 K and a volumetric flow rate of 50 L per minute to 250 L per minute. The pumping work is found to be the lowest, indicating that the increase in pressure drop has a negligible effect on the overall system performance. For the flow rate of 50 L per minute and inlet heat transfer fluid temperature of 303 K, the overall, exergy and thermal efficiency using a uniform helical wire coil flow insert are found to be 2.07 %, 2.1 %, and 2.2 %, respectively.