Concentrating collectors

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B6.1 Concentrating collectors

Used to increase outlet temperature

Increase in temperature due to
reduction in collector surface area and
commensurate reduction in heat loss
(AcUL)

Image from the sun is a finite size not

a point
subtends an angle of about 5
image will be a disc (3d) or a rectangle (2d)

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B6.1 Concentrating collectors

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B6.1 Concentrating collectors
Abel Pifres Printing press (1882)

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B6.1 Concentrating collectors
Concentration ratio

C = Concentration ratio
Aa Aa = Aperture area (m2)
C
Ar Ar = Receiver area (m2)

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B6.1 Concentrating collectors
Concentration ratio: Ideal

2
R 1 R 1
Cideal 2 d Cideal 3d 2
r sin r sin
2

230 50,000

Cideal = Concentration ratio of an ideal collector

= Acceptance half angle
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B6.2 Concentrating collectors
Concentration ratio: Parabolic collectors
(imaging collectors)

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B6.2 Concentrating collectors
Concentration ratio: Parabolic collectors
(imaging collectors)

sin cos
C2 d 1
sin
C = Concentration ratio
= Acceptance half angle
= rim angle
sin 2 cos 2
C3d
sin 2

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B6.2 Concentrating collectors
Concentration ratio: Parabolic collectors
(imaging collectors)

1 3
Cmax 2 d
2sin 2
110
1 1 3
Cmax 3d
4sin 2sin 4
2
C = Concentration ratio
13,000 = Acceptance half angle
= rim angle

When

1

2 2

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B6.3 Concentrating collectors
Non imaging collectors: Acceptance angle

Total angle the sun can move through

without its image missing the receiver
An ideal collector with an acceptance angle
of 60 will have a concentration ratio of 2

Ideal concentrators are non imaging

Most common form is the Compound
parabolic concentrator (CPC)
CPCs can collect diffuse radiation with a
proportion of 1/C (C of 1.5 will pick up 2/3
of diffuse radiation)

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B6.3 Concentrating collectors
Non imaging collectors: Compound
parabolic concentrator (CPC)

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B6.3 Concentrating collectors
Non imaging collectors: Compound
parabolic concentrator (CPC)

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B6.3 Concentrating collectors
Non imaging collectors: Compound
parabolic concentrator (CPC)

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B6.3 Concentrating collectors
Non imaging collectors:CPC: Variations

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B6.4 Concentrating collectors
Alternative concentrators

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B6.4 Concentrating collectors
Alternative concentrators

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B6.4 Concentrating collectors
Alternative concentrators

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B6.5 Concentrating collectors
Plane reflectors

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B6.5 Concentrating collectors
Plane reflectors

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B6.6 Concentrating collectors
Receivers

2d systems should use selective

surface as radiator radiates to the sky
3d systems can use any black surface
as C is very high so heat loss is small

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B6.6 Concentrating collectors
Tracking

3d systems must track on 2 axes

2d systems should track in one
direction
North-South aligned collectors have (fairly)
even output throughout the day but must
track the sun from East to west but be
careful about shading
East-West aligned collectors need not track
over the day but may need seasonal
adjustment and will have a strong variation
in output throughout the day
C-3 adjust four times/year
C-1.5 no adjustment necessary
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B6.6 Concentrating collectors
Tracking

Manual Seasonal adjustment for CPC Tracking for parabolic trough (E-W)

Tracking for parabolic trough (N-S) Two axis tracking

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B6.6 Concentrating collectors
Tracking: Moving receiver

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B6.6 Concentrating collectors
Performance

qq& = Energy per meter of

collector (W m-2)
= reflectivity of collector
= proportion of the beam
intercepted by the receiver
U L Tc TA = proportion of the beam
q& GT reaching the reflector
C = proportion absorbed by the
receiver
GT = Incident irradiance
UL = Loss coefficient of the
receiver
Note: Tc = Cold water temperature
TA = Ambient temperature
C = Concentration ratio

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B6.6 Concentrating collectors
Reflectivity for mirror surfaces

Material

Silver 0.93-0.95

Back silvered low iron glass 0.88

Back aluminiumised glass 0.76-0.80

Plated silver 0.96

Aluminium sheet 0.82

Aluminiumised PTFE 0.77

Silvered PTFE 0.86

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B6.6 Concentrating collectors
Performance

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B6.7 Concentrating collectors
Examples

Parabolic concentrator system

Lutz (USA 1984 - 1990)
Several sites between 13 and
80MW and covers an area of
460 ha
Collectors generate 360C
Uses synthetic oil for heat
removal to a conventional
turbine
Cost effective against fossil fuel
(9 US cents/kWh in 1991)
22% peak and 14% average
efficiency

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B6.7 Concentrating collectors
Examples

Power tower
Solar 2 (USA - 1994)
Generates 10MW
(100MW peak)
Heat > 550C
Uses melted rock salt for
heat removal
Solar Tres, a 15MW
commercial system is
planned for Spain (and
has been for some time)

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B6.7 Concentrating collectors
Examples

Power tower
Odeillo (France - 1969)
Built for materials testing
Heat > 3,800C
(but over an area of 50
cm2

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B6.7 Concentrating collectors
Examples

Solar cooker
Haiti
Uses Fresnal reflector

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