Analyzing the performance of a parabolic trough solar collector with advanced techniques adopted in the absorber- a review

Abstract

In this paper, discussions have been made about parabolic trough collectors, their various components and modifications implemented in those systems. It has been seen in this study, that the implementation of design modifications to absorbers, the use of various heat transfer fluids, the use of a secondary reflector as well as the use of pin fins enhance the performance of these Collectors. Furthermore, explanations have been done on the various methods and tools such as the Monte Carlo Ray Tracing method implemented while developing these improvements to the existing system. During this study, it has been observed that varieties of twisted tubes have been used which is one such advancement toward a plane tube absorber. It has been observed that the implementation of changes in the receiver tubes can lead to a system having an efficiency of around 75.5% as compared to the systems with simple tubes while modifications to the reflectors enhance the optical efficiency of the collectors by 5%. It has also been observed that the application of Twisted Tubes enhances the performance by 9.2% more than plane tubes. It has also been found that the fluids used in the absorber tubes have been experimented with wherein nanofluids have been utilized thereby resulting in increased performance. It can be concluded that the maximum thermal achieved by the MWCNT nanofluid is 22% higher than the base fluid.

Comparative assessment of thermal oils and water as working fluids in parabolic trough collectors for enhanced solar power generation

“…Water is commonly used as a working fluid in PTCs for solar power plant designs, but it requires complex systems due to the need for pressure regulation in handling high-pressure steam [8]. Thermal oil, on the other hand, is a frequently employed working fluid in solar concentrator systems and PTC-powered power plants [9]. Thermal oil offers advantages such as high thermal efficiency, high operating temperature capability, and a simplified system design.…”