Temperature homogenization control of parabolic trough solar collector field based on hydraulic calculation and extended Kalman filter

Abstract

Parabolic Trough Collector fields serve as the heat-absorbing components in large-scale commercial solar trough power plants. However, they frequently encounter challenges related to uneven spatial distribution of solar irradiation and heat transfer fluid flow. These disparities often lead to temperature inhomogeneity across the field, thereby jeopardizing both the safety and economic efficiency of the collector field. To address these issues, this study first introduces a proportional-integral and feedforward based flow control strategy designed to stabilize the fluid outlet temperature in the collector field. Subsequently, a flow allocation scheme aimed at achieving temperature uniformity across individual collector loops is presented. This scheme relies on the effective irradiation estimates for each collector loop, calculated using the extended Kalman filter algorithm and a suggested hydraulic model. Simulation results demonstrate that these control strategies not only stabilize the outlet temperature of the collector field at the desired set value but also significantly diminish temperature variances among individual collector loops, with reduced computational overhead. The maximum temperature difference between loops can be reduced from 126.3 °C to 12.7 °C under uneven radiation intensity, ranging from 563 W/m2 to 885 W/m2, by the proposed temperature homogenization control strategy.