Parabolic Trough Design as a Solar Heat Collector (CSP)

Toward Future Energy Effectiveness

Nia Febriyantia, Hutomo Para Setyob, Erlambang Isa Putra Sarjonoc, Galih Pambudid
a
Department of Physic Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
b
Department of Physic Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
c
Department of Physic Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
d
Department of Physic Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia

Abstract
The earth receives more energy from the Sun in just one hour than the world's population
uses in a whole year. The total solar energy flux intercepted by the earth on any particular day
is 4.2 X 1018 Watthours or 1.5 X 1022 Joules (or 6.26 X 1020 Joules per hour ). This is
equivalent to burning 360 billion tons of oil ( toe ) per day or 15 Billion toe per hour. In fact
the world's total energy consumption of all forms in the year 2000 was only 4.24 X 10 20
Joules. In year 2005 it was 10,537 Mtoe. Therefore, the use maximally of solar energy could
improve the welfare of the human race.. The term "solar collector" commonly refers to solar
hot water panels, but may refer to installations such as solar parabolic troughs and solar
towers; or basic installations such as solar air heaters. Simple collectors are typically used in
residential and commercial buildings for space heating. The effectiveness of solar collector
itself is no doubt for facilitate human activity. The activity of parabolic trough design as a
solar heat collector is intended for the utility solar energy which can be used as support for
power plant. Solar parabolic trough consist of collector, that have function for to collect and
reflecting the light directly. The collector has a paraboic design usually is made from material
that have covered refector same like glass. Solar energy that ware collected by collector will
reflect to receiver of parabolic focus.

Keyword : Solar Energy, Solar Parabolic trough, heat collector, receiver.

I. INTRODUCTION

Indonesia in geographically, is a country located at the equator, and are included in the ranks
of the tropical country, Indonesia have a potential solar radiation rays daily average of 4.8
kWh/m2 and become a strategic development to build the solar power plant. With an
abundance of solar energy resources are not used optimally, while on the other hand there are
some areas that have not electric source because Indonesia is not covered by power plant,
solar heat colector is modular and easily moved that one solution can be considered as one of
the alternative power generation .

Beside that sun is the energy source for the human activity in the world. If energy that saved
in the sunlight are collected with consentration in the one point/focus line, so the light are
concentrated will have a heat with higher temperature. Therefore the system is named
concentrated Solar Collector. CSPs system use the different configuration to change solar
energy to high temperature heat. Heat can be used directly or convert to electric.
The main component of CSPs System are surface of Solar Collector, Receiver, Energy
Converts system. Solar energy which are in the earths surface can consentrate up to tens use
CSPs system. Four element were needed to produce electricity from solar pawer plant are
concentrator, receiver, storage, and power inventer. Parabolic trough system used parabolic
reflector mirror to concentrate sunlight to receiver where inside drained by fluid heat transfer
heated up to 400 C and then is used to produce steam.

The main advantages from solar power plant have a few bad effect for human activity and
environtment, with a few polution emissions related with conventional energy. Every square
meters surface of the reflector is enough to prevent the annual production of CO 2 at 150 to
250 kg. therefore solar power plant to be built in Indonesia also have contributed to increased
international commitment to reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Based on the results of observations conducted by BPPT on solar radiation intensity

measurements in various regions in Indonesia's diverse, for the amount of the radiation
intensity in the eastern Indonesian region of Papua region (5,720 Wh/m2) is higher than the
intensity of radiation in western Indonesia examples area of Bogor (2,558 Wh/m2). But with
the intensity range between 2.558 to 5.720 Wh/m2 proves that in every area in Indonesia that
has the potential to be built colector solar panels.

This activity was conducted to determine the parabolic trough system that generates
performance to be applied in Indonesia.

II. METHODOLOGY

Specification planning is structured to determine how the solar thermal collectors in the form
of a parabolic trough solar collector. Performance solar thermal absorption on this
specification is measured from the ability of a solar collector to heat fluidwork from ambient
temperature at specific time interval. Testing was conducted according to specifications as
follows.

1. Installation of solar collector

2. Instrumentation

a. Solarmeter

b. Thermometer

c. Anemometer

3. Standart of testing condition

 During the testing solars intensity should more than 700W/m2. wind speed paraller
with collector should 3 m/s 1 m/s. Fluid flow rate in collector must be set 0,02
kg/sm2.

4. Testing procedures

Collector must be tested in brightly condition with solars intensity min same like
standart condition. If water is used for fluid, temperature maximal must up to 80 C.
The main parameter when testing is occupy, area aperture, fluid capacity, solars
intensity, flow rate, ambient air temperature, and fluid temperatur is heated.

Flowchart of testing procedure

START

- Measuring suns
intensity
- Measuring wind

No solars intentity >

700W/m2

Yes

- Check the Collector

Conditions
- Turn on the pump.
Check leak

No Collector clean no leak

Yes

-Measuring wind speed

-Measuring ambient temperature
-Measuring initial temperature of
water END
- Measuring final temperature of
 5. Analyze test results

Power can be arrested from solar energy in the solar collector is calclated by the
Q=m fluid C p .fluid T
equation :

If the equation performed during a certain time t with a fluid that has a volume V
fluid V fluid C p .fluid T
equation above become : Q= t

fluida V fluid
Where Q is heat input (W) : is fluid dentity (kg/m3); is Fluid volume
C p . fluid T is the different temperature (K); t
(m3); is fluid heat spesific (J/kgK),
is time (s).

Water and thermal oil were used for fluid testing.

Receiver is the part of Solar Collector System where solar heat rediation absorbed and
converted to heat tranfer fluid (HTF). Design receiver to know receiver dimention required in
the collectors draft. Receivers shape is tube with center exactly in the point of parabolic.

III. RESULT

III.1. The Result of solar collector testing

Testing performed by two fluid are water and thermal

III.2. Testing solar collector

Testing method performed are :

a. Testing static fluid

b. Absorber receiver is pump without isolation

 c. Temperature measuring with time

d. Solar Intensity measuring with time

e. Time interval every 1 minute

Tabel 1. Testing Data Solar Collector

Data Notation Mark

Wind Speed v 1 m/s

Ambient Temperature T1 31,9 C

Fluid Volume V 12,984 L

Water Heat Spesifik Cp 4,2 kK/kgC

Area aperture A (2x6)m2

Diameter pump absorber Da 2 inchi

Testing data of solar collector are data taken in the field by Ir. Agus Salim. This
Function to know the eficience work from solar collector

Tabel 2. The Measuring Result

Time Fluid Solar Time Fluid Solar

t(minutes) temperature, Intensity t(minutes) temperature Intensity
Tf(C) (W/m2) , Tf(C) (W/m2)

0 28 1055 11 63,9 1055

1 34,5 1056 12 72,3 1058

2 35,8 1057 13 81,5 1050

3 39,7 1050 14 88,5 1050

4 44,1 1038 15 92,1 1049

5 47,4 1073 16 92,5 1033

6 47,9 1080 17 92,1 1065

 7 49,2 1068 18 92,2 1054

8 51,9 1074 19 92,4 1046

9 57,1 1065 20 91,8 1050

10 61,2 1070

Tabel 3. Analyze on testing result of solar collector

Testing result Notation Mark

Heat input Qin 12,68 kW

Heat output Qout 5,82 kW

Average of Heat Loss Qloss 1,2 kW

Efficient 45,94 %

Tabel 3 analyze in testing result have been carried out by Ir. Agus. With used data from tabel
1 and measuring result from tabel 2 so with heat input 12,68 kW and Heat output 5,82 kW get
heat losses 1,2kW and efficient work 45,94%. The value of efficient not yet maximal, to
consider absorber pump that used are ordinary pumpl, so heat losses was high enough.

IV. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

IV.1. Perform of Solar Collector

a. Solar Collector testing used fluid got value :

Fluid temperature up to 90oC (average) for 20 minutes test, with the average solar
intensity up to 1000 W/m2.

Heat input 12,68 kW gave heat output 5,82 kW.

Efficient 45,94%

b. Solar Collector testing used Thermal Oile Fluid

 Used receiver absorber with evacuated tube type. Receiver was made by glass
tube of borosilicate type.

The contribution of the diffuse skylight to energy gain can be significant,

especially at heavet overcast of the sun. However, the difference between energy
gains by sun-tracking and by light-tracking is not a major one except in extreme
cases of morning and evening positions of sun-tracking collectors (90o).

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