Process Heat Generation Potential from Solar Concentration Technologies in Latin America: The Case of Argentina

Abstract

This paper evaluates the potential of solar concentration technologies-compound parabolic collector (CPC), linear Fresnel collector (LFC) and parabolic trough collector (PTC)-as an alternative to conventional sources of energy for industrial processes in Latin America, where high levels of solar radiation and isolated areas without energy supply exist. The analysis is addressed from energy, economic and environmental perspective. A specific application for Argentina in which fourteen locations are analyzed is considered. Results show that solar concentration technologies can be an economically and environmentally viable alternative. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranges between 2.5 and 16.9 c€/kWh/m 2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided range between 33 and 348 kgCO 2 /(m 2 ·year). CPC technology stands out as the most recommendable technology when the working fluid temperature ranges from 373 K to 423 K. As the working fluid temperature increases the differences between the LCOE values of the CPC and LFC technologies decrease. When 523 K is reached LFC technology is the one which presents the lowest LCOE values for all analyzed sites, while the LCOE values of PTC technology are close to CPC technology values. Results show that solar concentration technologies have reached economic and environmental competitiveness levels under certain scenarios, mainly linked to solar resource available, thermal level requirements and solar technology cost.

Optimization of a Solar-Driven Trigeneration System with Nanofluid-Based Parabolic Trough Collectors

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Graphene-Based Nanofluids: Production Parameter Effects on Thermophysical Properties and Dispersion Stability

“…To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no previous work that has focused on determining the physical stability as well as all the thermophysical properties of graphene nanoplatelet–water nanofluids using the previous experimental setup and conditions. Since these types of suspensions are very sensitive to temperature, nanomaterial concentration, and the type as well as the amount of surfactant used, the outcome of this work is believed to be beneficial for interested scholars in simulating studies that include graphene–water suspensions in moderate temperature applications such as gas turbine intercooling units [ 22 ], liquid cooled computers [ 56 ], low temperature parabolic trough solar collectors [ 57 , 58 ], and other thermal energy systems [ 59 ]. It will also provide an insight into future experimental work for these applications.…”

Innovative flat-plate solar collector (FPC) with coloured water flowing through a transparent tube

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