Performance Of Trough Collectors Research Articles

Evaluating the effect of using nanofluids on the parabolic trough collector's performance

AbstractSolar collectors utilize solar energy, a sustainable and renewable source, to cater to both household and industrial needs. This paper investigated the usage of mono and binary nanoparticles in parabolic trough collectors. This paper used multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 nanoparticles as the additives to the collector heat transfer fluid (in Syltherm 800 oil) and also evaluated the performance implications of energy systems in six scenarios. A MATLAB‐based computational model is provided to investigate the influence of employing binary nanoparticles on a solar collector's performance. The influence of nanoparticle modifications and volume percentages on energy, exergy, economic, and environmental aspects is studied. Finally, the impact of nanoparticles on each of the four mentioned areas is examined. At the same total energy rate, in the best case, adding 4% by volume of Fe3O4 (Case 2) to the base fluid increases the valuable energy rate absorbed from 7.32 kW in the base state to 7.50 kW (2.5%). The carbon dioxide produced in the system life cycle by using useful energy is called EnergoEnvironmental, and the carbon dioxide produced in the system life cycle by using useful exergy is called ExergoEnvironmental. At last, the calculation of the parameters EnergoEnviroEconomic and ExergoEnviroEconomic are done, the penalty policy is considered, and the calculations are generalized to solar collector power plants due to the carbon dioxide cost policies.

Investigations of thermo-structural instability on the performance of solar parabolic trough collectors

Solar parabolic trough collectors are a mature technology among other concentrated solar power technologies. However, improvements in the structural stability and the accuracy in the shape of the reflectors and the receiver are essential for making them at par with other solar power technologies. A methodology is proposed in the present work for the investigations of the combined effect of the thermo-structural instability in the reflector and the receiver on the performance of trough collectors. The circumferential temperature distribution and wind loads lead to bending in the receiver and the reflector, respectively. The analysis involves temperature and bending effects at four mass flow rates of 3 kg/s, 6 kg/s, 9 kg/s, and 18 kg/s in the absorber tube and three slope errors 1 mrad, 2 mrad, and 3 mrad at the reflector. The optical efficiency decreases from 86% to 67.24% for the bending from 0 mm to 10 mm, and the loss is as high as 17.7% for 3 mrad and 10 mm deflections at the reflector and the receiver, respectively. The present study shall help in the design and condition monitoring of the trough collectors.

Geometrical effects on the performance of trough collectors

Three common influences on the performance of parabolic trough collectors—end effects, shading by integral bulkheads, and intraaray shading—are considered. These three factors have the principal effect of reducing the effective aperture of the collector. The extent of this reduction is analyzed, and formulas are presented to quantify the effects to enhance performance calculations.