The sensitivity of changing the optical and thermal physical parameters of the Parabolic Trough Collector

Abstract

This work is mainly focused on studying the sensitivity of changing the optical and thermal physical parameters of the Parabolic Trough Collector receiver unit and their corresponding impact on the thermal and optical performances, such as the thermal distribution of the heat transfer fluid along the length, the thermal distribution of both the absorber pipe and the outer cover of the receiver along the circumference and related efficiencies. In this paper, novel experimental results of a receiver unit operating with an IR reflective mirror material inside the receiver are introduced. Besides, novel aspects of the background theory for the reviver unit related to IR reflectivity in the receiver annulus are discussed and implemented in a simulation code. A comparison between a developed model and simulation results is conducted.