Thermal performance of cubical receiver with trapezoidal ice-pot for melting of ice at high altitude regions based on Scheffler solar concentrator

Abstract

ABSTRACT The thermal performance of cubical receiver with a trapezoidal ice-pot has been investigated with the aim to generate hot water by melting of ice at high altitude regions (Leh Ladakh). In the experimental set-up, one hollow mild steel cubical receiver (filled with heat transfer fluid) with the ice-pot and four different types of solid cubical receivers with the ice-pot are used to melt the ice with direct heating in minimum time. The radiations are focused on receiver with the help of a 1 m2 Scheffler concentrator that is exposed to the atmospheric situations of NIT Kurukshetra. The results from the designed set-up are obtained that the frozen ice at −4°C melts completely, converting into water and the maximum temperature of the water attained in hollow cubical receiver, solid receiver (granite), solid receiver (dholpur stone), solid receiver (concrete) and solid receiver (mild steel) is 42.5°C, 32.9°C, 49.5°C, 30.2°C and 52.7°C, respectively.