Thermal and exergetic evaluation of parabolic trough collectors with finned absorbers operating with air

2017 ◽  
Vol 231 (7) ◽  
pp. 631-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Bellos ◽  
Christos Tzivanidis ◽  
Ilias Daniil
Keyword(s):  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Global Maximum ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Simulation Tool ◽  
Exergetic Efficiency ◽  
Parabolic Trough ◽  
Pressure Losses ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Reverse Relationship ◽  
Fin Length

The objective of this work is to evaluate energetically and exergetically the use of internal longitudinal fins in parabolic trough collectors operating with air. Nine different finned absorbers are compared with the smooth absorber for various inlet temperatures up to 500℃. More specifically, the use of 4, 8, and 16 fins with lengths 5 mm, 10 mm, and 15 mm are examined. The simulation tool is Solidworks Flow Simulation and the examined parabolic trough collector is the Eurotrough module. According to the final results, the global maximum exergetic efficiency is 43.65% and it is achieved for 4 fins with 15 mm length, while the inlet temperature of the air is equal to 350℃ and the thermal efficiency is 67.98%. Moreover, in the cases of 8 and 16 fins, the optimum lengths exergetically are 10 mm and 5 mm respectively, a fact that proves the reverse relationship between the number of fins and the fin length. Finally, it is also important to be stated that greater number of fins and higher fin length not only lead to higher thermal performance but also to higher pressure losses; two factors are taken into consideration in the exergetic performance, which is the main evaluation index of this study.

Optimum geometry of parabolic trough collectors with optical and thermal criteria

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Pavlovic ◽  
E. Bellos ◽  
V. Stefanovic ◽  
C. Tzivanidis
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Optimum Design ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Focal Length ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Exergetic Efficiency ◽  
Parabolic Trough ◽  
Optimum Geometry ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this work is to investigate the impact of the geometric dimensions of parabolic trough collector (PTC) in the optical, energetic and exergetic efficiency. The module of the commercial LS-3 PTC is examined with SOLIDWORKS FLOW SIMULATION in steady-state conditions. Various combinations of reflector widths and receiver diameters are tested. The optical and the thermal performance, as well as the exergetic performance are calculated for all the examined configurations. According to the final results, higher widths demands higher receiver diameter for optimum performance. For inlet temperature equal to 200 °C, the optimum design was find to be 3000 mm width with 42.5 mm receiver diameter, with the focal length to be 1840 mm (this is kept constant in all the cases). The results of this work and the presented methodology can be used as guidelines for the design of optimum PTC in the future.

Investigation of a Rotor Blade With Tip Cooling Subject to a Nonuniform Temperature Profile

2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harika S. Kahveci
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Profile ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Pressure Side ◽  
Engine Operation ◽  
Pressure Losses ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Temperature Levels

Abstract One of the challenges in the design of a high-pressure turbine blade is that a considerable amount of cooling is required so that the blade can survive high temperature levels during engine operation. Another challenge is that the addition of cooling should not adversely affect blade aerodynamic performance. The typical flat tips used in designs have evolved into squealer form that implements rims on the tip, which has been reported in several studies to achieve better heat transfer characteristics as well as to decrease pressure losses at the tip. This paper demonstrates a numerical study focusing on a squealer turbine blade tip that is operating in a turbine environment matching the typical design ratios of pressure, temperature, and coolant blowing. The blades rotate at a realistic rpm and are subjected to a turbine rotor inlet temperature profile that has a nonuniform shape. For comparison, a uniform profile is also considered as it is typically used in computational studies for simplicity. The effect of tip cooling is investigated by implementing seven holes on the tip near the blade pressure side. Results confirm that the temperature profile nonuniformity and the addition of cooling are the drivers for loss generation, and they further increase losses when combined. Temperature profile migration is not pronounced with a uniform profile but shows distinct features with a nonuniform profile for which hot gas migration toward the blade pressure side is observed. The blade tip also receives higher coolant coverage when subject to the nonuniform profile.

scholarly journals Sensitive Analysis for the Efficiency of a Parabolic Trough Solar Collector Based on Orthogonal Experiment

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Liu ◽  
Jing Huang ◽  
Qianjun Mao
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Efficiency ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Orthogonal Experiment ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Parabolic Trough ◽  
Pipe Length ◽  
Climate Region ◽  
Parabolic Trough Solar Collector

A multitude of the researches focus on the factors of the thermal efficiency of a parabolic trough solar collector, that is, the optical-thermal efficiency. However, it is limited to a single or double factors for available system. The aim of this paper is to investigate the multifactors effect on the system’s efficiency in cold climate region. Taking climatic performance into account, an average outlet temperature of LS-2 collector has been simulated successfully by coupling SolTrace software with CFD software. Effects of different factors on instantaneous efficiency have been determined by orthogonal experiment and single factor experiment. After that, the influence degree of different factors on the collector instantaneous efficiency is obtained clearly. The results show that the order of effect extent for average maximal deviation of each factor is inlet temperature, solar radiation intensity, diameter, flow rate, condensation area, pipe length, and ambient temperature. The encouraging results will provide a reference for the exploitation and utilization of parabolic trough solar collector in cold climate region.

Novel Parabolic Trough Collectors Driving a Small-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle System

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kohlenbach ◽  
S. McEvoy ◽  
W. Stein ◽  
A. Burton ◽  
K. Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steel Substrate ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sheet Steel ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Glass Tube ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Parabolic Trough

This paper presents component performance results of a new parabolic trough collector array driving an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power generation system. The system has been installed in the National Solar Energy Centre at CSIRO Energy Technology in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. It consists of four rows of 18 parabolic mirrors each in a 2×2 matrix with a total aperture area of approximately 132m2. The absorber tube is a laterally aligned, 40mm copper tube coated with a semi-selective paint and enclosed in a 50mm non-evacuated glass tube to reduce convection losses. The mirror modules, which are light-weight and robust, are made from thin low iron back silvered glass bonded to a sheet steel substrate. They are supported by a box truss on semi circular hoops running on rollers for single axis tracking. The mirror design has been chosen to allow low-cost manufacturing as well as simple commissioning and operation. The ORC unit is a FP6 unit sourced from Freepower Ltd. with a net power output of 6kWel at 180°C inlet temperature and a total heat input of 70 kWth. It uses a two-stage expansion process with hydrofluoroether as the working fluid. A wet cooling tower is used to dissipate the reject heat from the ORC. The two key components of the envisioned system are the trough reflector/receiver and the ORC unit. The optical performance of the mirror elements was investigated with regard to the flux mapping onto the receiver tube. The ORC unit has been tested separately using an electrical oil heater as the heat source. This paper presents results for irradiation capture and intensity over the receiver width of a single trough mirror module. The complete system including trough collectors and ORC has not been in transient operation yet, thus experimental steady-state results of the ORC unit are presented.

Thermal performance optimization of a parabolic trough collector operating with various working fluids using copper nanoparticles.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
Yasser M. Abdullatif ◽  
Eric Chekwube Okonkwo ◽  
Tareq Al-Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Copper Nanoparticles ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Performance Optimization ◽  
Volume Flow Rate ◽  
Liquid Sodium ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Parabolic Trough ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Working Fluids

Abstract This study presents a thermal performance comparison of various working fluids in Parabolic Trough Collectors. Fluids such as gases (helium, carbon dioxide, and air), liquid sodium, and liquids (pressurized water, Therminol VP1, Syltherm 800) are evaluated. This study also examines the efficiency enhancement obtained from the dispersion of copper nanoparticles in water, Therminol-VP1, and Syltherm 800 base fluids. The optimum parameters for nanoparticle concentration, volume flow rate, and inlet temperature to obtain the maximum efficiencies for each working fluid were evaluated in this study. The thermal model used in this study was modelled after the commercially available LS-2 collector, which was designed in the engineering equation solver (EES) and validated with results found in literature. The results of the study show that the Cu/Syltherm 800 nanofluid showed the most enhancement in thermal efficiency with 0.62% while Cu/water and Cu/Therminol VP1 had enhancements of 0.3% and 0.2% respectively.

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