OPTICAL MODELING OF A SOLAR DISH THERMAL CONCENTRATOR BASED ON SQUARE FLAT FACETS

Abstract

Solar energy may be practically utilized directly through transformation into heat, electrical or chemical energy. We present a procedure to design a square facet concentrator for laboratory-scale research on medium-temperature thermal processes. The efficient conversion of solar radiation into heat at these temperature levels requires the use of concentrating solar collectors. Large concentrating dishes generally have a reflecting surface made up of a number of individual mirror panels (facets). Optical ray tracing is used to generate a system performance model. A square facet parabolic solar concentrator with realistic specularly surface and facet positioning accuracy will deliver up to 13.604 kW of radiative power over a 250 mm radius disk (receiver diameter) located in the focal plane on the focal length of 1500mmwith average concentrating ratio exceeding 1200. The Monte Carlo ray tracing method is used for analysis of the optical performance of the concentrator and to identify the set of geometric concentrator parameters that allow for flux characteristics suitable for medium and high-temperature applications.

Keywords

Dates

  • Submission Date2014-02-03
  • Revision Date2014-04-22
  • Acceptance Date2014-05-08
  • Online Date2014-09-06

DOI Reference

10.2298/TSCI1403989P

References

  1. Govind, N. K., et al., Design of Solar Thermal Systems Utilizing Pressurized hot Water Storage for Industrial Applications, Solar Energy, 82 (2008), 8, pp. 686-699
  2. Kalogirou, S., Potential of Solar Industrial Process Heat Applications, Applied Energy, 76 (2003), 4, pp. 337-361
  3. Saleh Ali, I. M., et al., An Optical Analysis of a Static 3-D Concentrator, Solar Energy, 88 (2013), Feb., pp. 57-70
  4. Johnston, G., et al., Optical Performance of Spherical Reflecting Elements for Use with Paraboloidal Dish Concentrators. Solar Energy, 74 (2003), 2, pp. 133-140
  5. Ali, I., et al., Optical Performance Evaluation of a 2-D and 3-D Novel hyperboloid Solar Concentrator, in World Renewable Energy Congress, Abu Dhabi, 2010, pp. 1738-1743
  6. Andersen., M., et al., Comparison Between Ray-Tracing Simulations and Bi-Directional Transmission Measurements on prismating Glazing, Solar Energy, 74 (2003), 2, pp. 157-173
  7. Meyer., T. J. J., et al., Ray Tracing Technique Applied to Modelling of Fluorescent Solar Collectors, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 7211, Physics and Simulation of Optoelectronics Devices XVII (Eds. M. Osinski, B. Witzigmann, F. Henneberger, Y. Arakawa), Bellingham, Wash., USA, 2009, pp. 1e11. doi:10.1117/12.810922.
Volume 18, Issue 3, Pages989 -998