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Passive performance enhancement of parabolic trough solar concentrators using internal radiation heat shields

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  • El-Bakry, M. Medhat
  • Kassem, Mahmoud A.
  • Hassan, Muhammed A.

Abstract

Boosting the optical and thermal efficiencies of parabolic trough concentrators is gaining renewal global interest for improving the overall concentrating solar power plant efficiency and reducing the specific costs of power generation. Using internal radiation heat shields in the annular space of the heat collection element is an attractive passive solution that is not well-addressed in the literature. This study is a first attempt to analyze and map both energetic and exergetic performances of parabolic trough concentrators in terms of the configuration of the radiation heat shield and the operating conditions of the concentrator. A 3D model based on Monte-Carlo ray tracing and computational fluid dynamics is developed, validated, and used to examine 420 combinations of design and operating parameters. The proposed design outperformed the conventional one in the whole spectrum of operating conditions, except for a narrow range of low operating temperatures and high flow rates. Floating radiation heat shields with small diameters and large shading angles enhanced the temperature uniformity of heat collection element and showed the highest enhancement ratios of both energy and exergy efficiencies, which were up to 15.4 and 14.4%, respectively. A radiation heat shield with a diameter of 75 mm and a shading angle of 150° was found the best performing configuration for most operating conditions. Increasing the shield’s emissivity (0.06) to that of the absorber tube (0.14) reduced the energy and exergy efficiencies by up to 33.75 and 29.06%, respectively. The effectiveness of the modified design was more pronounced at lower solar irradiance levels. The enhancements of energy and exergy efficiency decreased by 85.76 and 86.40% as the irradiance increased from 200 to 1000 W/m2. However, the modified design was still more efficient at all considered values of emissivity and solar irradiance.

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  • El-Bakry, M. Medhat & Kassem, Mahmoud A. & Hassan, Muhammed A., 2021. "Passive performance enhancement of parabolic trough solar concentrators using internal radiation heat shields," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(P1), pages 52-66.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:165:y:2021:i:p1:p:52-66
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2020.11.003
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    5. Madadi Avargani, Vahid & Norton, Brian & Rahimi, Amir, 2021. "An open-aperture partially-evacuated receiver for more uniform reflected solar flux in circular-trough reflectors: Comparative performance in air heating applications," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 11-24.
    6. Vahidinia, F. & Khorasanizadeh, H. & Aghaei, A., 2023. "Energy, exergy, economic and environmental evaluations of a finned absorber tube parabolic trough collector utilizing hybrid and mono nanofluids and comparison," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 185-199.
    7. Hassan, Muhammed A. & Abubakr, Mohamed & Khalil, Adel, 2021. "A profile-free non-parametric approach towards generation of synthetic hourly global solar irradiation data from daily totals," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 613-628.
    8. Amein, Hamza & Akoush, Bassem M. & El-Bakry, M. Medhat & Abubakr, Mohamed & Hassan, Muhammed A., 2022. "Enhancing the energy utilization in parabolic trough concentrators with cracked heat collection elements using a cost-effective rotation mechanism," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 250-266.
    9. Hassan, Muhammed A. & Fouad, Aya & Dessoki, Khaled & Al-Ghussain, Loiy & Hamed, Ahmed, 2023. "Performance analyses of supercritical carbon dioxide-based parabolic trough collectors with double-glazed receivers," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
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    13. Amein, Hamza & Kassem, Mahmoud A. & Ali, Shady & Hassan, Muhammed A., 2021. "Integration of transparent insulation shells in linear solar receivers for enhanced energy and exergy performances," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 344-359.

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