NUMERICAL STUDY TO INVESTIGATE THE SUITABILITY

OF PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTOR AS A TCM

CHARGER
PROJECT REPORT
Submitted by
AKASH P M(KSD15ME018)
AKSHAY S BABU(KSD15ME024)
ANANDU M R(KSD15ME025)
ANSEL GAFOOR(KSD15ME030)
To
To the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree
Of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
In
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

LBS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
KASARAGOD-671542, KERALA
June 2019
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project report entitled “NUMERICAL STUDY TO INVESTIGATE
THE SUITABILITY OF PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTOR AS A TCM
CHARGER” submitted by AKASH P M, AKSHAY S BABU, ANANDU M R, ANSEL
GAFOOR, to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of technology in Mechanical
Engineering is a bonafide record of the work carried out by them under my supervision and
guidance.

GUIDED BY PROJECT COORDINATOR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

SWARAJ KUMAR B SWARAJ KUMAR B JOWHAR MUBARAK K
ASST. PROFESSOR ASST. PROFESSOR ASST. PROFESSOR
MECHANICAL DEPT. MECHANICAL DEPT. MECHANICAL DEPT.

Place: Kasaragod

Date: June 2019

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, we offer our sincere gratitude and respect to our guide, Sri.
SWARAJ KUMAR B, Assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, LBS
College of Engineering, Kasaragod for his valuable guidance and suggestions during our study.
We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity of associating ourselves
with him for this semester. This project preliminary report was made possible by his patience and
persistence. After the completion of this project preliminary report, we experience feeling of
achievement and satisfaction.

We express our sincere thanks to Dr. MOHAMMAD SHEKOOR T, Principal LBS

College of Engineering, Kasaragod, Sri. JOWHAR MUBARAK K, Head of Mechanical
Engineering Department, project coordinator Sri. SWARAJ KUMAR B, Asst. Professor of
Mechanical Engineering Dept., for providing us with the necessary facilities in the department
and also for the valuable advices.

We are especially indebted to our parents for their love, sacrifice, and support. They are
our first teachers after we came to this world and have set examples for us about how to live,
study, and work.

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 ABSTRACT

Now a days the demand of energy increases gradually, for meeting the increase in energy
demand we need to reduce the energy wastage and to do so we need to store the energy lost by
heat. There arises the concept of thermal energy storage. There are different methods in thermal
energy storage. Among these thermal energy storage methods thermochemical energy storage is
most efficient one. Thermochemical energy storage is the method of storing energy in a
thermochemical material, as chemical potential. In thermochemical energy storage energy is
stored in a reversible chemical reaction where charging and discharging occur during the
reversible chemical reaction. The process of thermochemical energy storage is based on
reversible adsorption-desorption reaction, which is endothermic during desorption and
exothermic during adsorption. In this work the suitability of MgSO4 and different heat carrying
fluids is investigated. Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems using TCMs are particularly
attractive and provide a high energy storage density at a constant temperature. When salt
hydrates are heated to the temperature required to activate the dehydration reaction, water
desorption occurs from the compound. For an efficient thermochemical energy storage one of the
important aspects is heat collection and storage mechanism for the system. In this project study
about different solar collectors to charge the thermochemical material is analysed and then a
CFD and experimental analysis is conducted to determine an efficient charging setup for a
thermochemical energy storage.

ii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement i

Abstract ii

Table of Contents iii

List of Figures iv

Nomenclature v

Chapter 1: Introduction 1

1.1 Thermochemical Energy Storage 1

1.2 Thermochemical Materials 4

1.3 Solar Collectors 5

1.4 Nitrogen as A Working Fluid 10

Chapter 2: Objective of Work 11

Chapter 3: Modelling and Analysis of a Parabolic Trough 12

Collector

3.1 CFD Analysis of Parabolic Trough Collector Model 12

3.2 CFD Analysis of Parabolic Trough Collector 16

Chapter 4: Experimental Analysis of A Parabolic Trough

Collector Model 19

4.1 Experimental Analysis 19

iii
 4.2 Calculation of Thermal Efficiency 22

Chapter 5: Result and Discussion 23

Chapter 6: Conclusion 27

Appendix A 28

Appendix B 29

Appendix C 30

References 31

iv
 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig No. Title Page No.

1 Sorption process 2
2 Dehydration reaction of MgSO4 5
3 Flat Plate Collector 6
4 Evacuated Tube Collector 7
5 Parabolic trough collector 9
6 Model of Parabolic Trough Collector 13
7 Temperature Profile of PTC Model 14
8 Temperature Profile of Absorber Tube of PTC Model 14
9 Model of Parabolic Trough Collector 15
10 Mesh of The Model 16
11 Mesh of The Absorber Tube 16
12 Temperature Profile of Collector 17
13 Temperature Profile of Absorber Tube 17
14 Model of parabolic trough collector 19
15 Thermocouple 20
16 Anemometer 21
17 Temperature v/s position of Model 23
18 Inlet and Outlet Temperature v/s Time from experimental setup 24
19 Temperature v/s Position on Absorber (CFD analysis) 25

v
 NOMENCLATURE

TES Thermochemical Energy Storage

PTC Parabolic Trough Collector
Q Net useful heat gained by the fluid
m mass flow rate of fluid (Kg/sec)
C specific heat of fluid=1000 JK K for water
T1 Maximum temperature attained by fluid (°C)
T2 Initial temperature of fluid (°C)
A Aperture area (m)
H Solar Intensity (W/m)
ρ Reflectivity of collector materials
R Till Factor for beam radiation

vi
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
CO2-induced global warming has become a pressing issue and needs to be tackled. The
depletion of fossil resources in addition to their negative impact on the environment has
accelerated the shift toward sustainable energy sources. Renewable energies such as solar
radiation, ocean waves, wind, and biogas have been playing a major role in reforming the natural
balance and providing the needs of the growing population demand. However, due to the
climatic vagaries, the means of storing these types of renewable energy has become urgent.
Efficient utilisation of renewable energy resources, especially solar energy, is increasingly being
considered as a promising solution to global warming and a means of achieving a sustainable
development for human beings. The Sun releases an enormous amount of radiation energy to its
surroundings at the upper atmosphere of the Earth. When the energy arrives at the surface of the
Earth, it has been attenuated twice by both the atmosphere (6% by reflection and 16% by
absorption) and the clouds (20% by reflection and 3% by absorption). Another 51% (89 PW) of
the total incoming solar radiation reaches the land and the oceans. It is evident that, despite the
attenuation, the total amount of solar energy available on the Earth is still of an enormous
amount, but because it is of low-density and intermittency, it needs to be collected and stored
efficiently. Solar collectors and thermal energy storage components are the two kernel
subsystems in solar thermal applications. Solar collectors need to have good optical performance
(absorbing as much heat as possible), whilst the thermal storage subsystems require high thermal
storage density (small volume and low construction cost), excellent heat transfer rate (absorb and
release heat at the required speed) and good long-term durability.

1.1 Thermo chemical energy storage

Heat storage can be accomplished through physical or chemical processes. With respect to the
form of heat involved we distinguish between sensible and latent physical heat storage methods.
Sensible heat storage is achieved through the temperature rise of the storage material.
Thermochemical heat storage is generally classified under chemical process; here chemical
sorption processes are most used.

1
Storing heat energy can be accomplished by using endothermic and exothermic chemical
reactions. Reversible sorption processes and chemical reactions based on solid –gas systems are
used to store thermal energy for a period of time and use when required.Though chemical
reactions possess excellent storage potential based on the analysis on the material level, their
performance in actual systems requires further research. Since sorption processes demand lower
activation energy to start the reaction than chemical reactions, they are more suitable for low
temperature applications such as seasonal solar energy storage.

1.1.1 Sorption processes

Sorption can be defined as a phenomenon of fixation of a gas by a substance in solid or liquid

phase. In thermochemical energy storage reversible sorption processes are used to store heat
energy.

Figure 1: Sorption Process

As seen in the figure, the first the heat storage materials is dissociated to its components which is
an endothermic reaction, and when the components are in contact heat is released (exothermic
reaction) during the forming of compound again.

In order to conduct the sorption process efficiently different sorption working pairs or reactants
have been studied for thermal energy storage applications. The qualities required for a sorption
pain for large scale storage purposes are

- High energy density

2
 - Low charging temperature

- High uptake of sorbate

- Thermal and chemical stability

- High thermal conductivity

- High heat transfer with the heat transfer fluid

- Moderate operating pressure range

- Non-corrosive

- Environmental safety

- Low cost.

Despite the scientific efforts none of the available sorption materials currently meet the
requirements for large scale applications.

1.1.2 Advantages of thermo chemical energy storages

• Thermal energy storage offers the option to improve output control for some energy
technologies
• Able to reduce mismatch between supply and demand
• Some storage materials like water or ground have universal availability and low cost

1.1.3 Disadvantages of Thermo chemical energy storage

• The energy stored decreases with time due to the heat losses.

• Some storage technologies are still in developing stage

• Expensive

• Big surfaces are needed for seasonal storage

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1.2 Thermochemical materials (TCM)

Selection of a suitable thermochemical material for thermochemical energy storage is

done by comparing various thermochemical materials. Interesting reactants are low cost, non-
toxic, non-corrosive, have sufficient energy storage density and have reaction temperatures in the
proper range, magnesium sulfate has been identified as a potentially interesting storage material,
by means of the reaction

MgSO4 (s)  7 H2O (g)  MgSO4 X 7 H2O (s)  411 kJ/mol _ MgSO4

This material could be interesting for seasonal storage. Once the chemical reaction has
taken place, the solar heat can be stored in this way for a long time period without losses. A good
characterization of the magnesium sulfate hydrate is important for an optimal design of
thermochemical storage. Hydrous MgSO4 in the reaction chamber should be subjected to a
temperature of 270°C to be converted into anhydrous MgSO4.

An Experiment performed in a nitrogen-water vapor atmosphere with a heating rate of

1°C/min gave us the following clarifications about the properties of MgSO4·7H2O (s). The
dehydration of MgSO4·7 H2O proceeds in at least three steps:

MgSO4·7H2O (s) ⇒ MgSO4·6 H2O (s) + H2O (g) at 25–55°C

MgSO4·6H2O (s) ⇒ MgSO4·0·1 H2O (s) +5·9 H2O (g) at 60–265 °C

MgSO4·0·1H2O (s) ⇒ MgSO4 (s) +0·1 H2O (g) at 275 °C

The first step occurs at a low temperature 25–55°C involving a mass loss of 6.90.2%,
which corresponds to the loss of one water molecule. The first de-hydration step is an
endothermic process indicating that solar heat can be stored using this reaction. However, the
fact that this transition of MgSO4·7H2O to MgSO4·6H2O already starts at 25°C means that when
MgSO4·7H2O is stored under these conditions, it will slowly convert to MgSO4·6H2O. As a
result, less MgSO4·7H2O is available in the heat storage system and the amount of solar heat that
can be stored using the first dehydration step decreases in time. The second dehydration occurs
between 60°C and 265°C. The second dehydration step consists of at least two dehydration steps:
An initial steep decrease in weight loss. Interestingly, the sharp drop in mass corresponds to a

4
loss of approximately four water molecules. This suggests that the dehydration of MgSO4·6H2O
proceeds through a MgSO4·2H2O intermediate. The total mass loss in the second step is
42.20.3% corresponding to the loss of 5.9 water molecules. This means that the overall second
dehydration step involves the transitions from MgSO4·6H2O to MgSO4·0·1H2O. Finally, the
third dehydration step in Fig. 1 takes place at a high temperature of 275°C and involves the mass
loss of 0.50.1% corresponding to 0.1 water molecules. It means that during the last dehydration
step MgSO4·0·1H2O is converted to anhydrous MgSO4.

Figure 2: - Dehydration Reaction of Mgso4 [V M van Essen] [26]

1.3 Solar Collectors

The sun is a sphere of intensely hot gaseous matter with a diameter of 1.39X109 m. The
solar energy strikes our planet a mere 8 min and 20 s after leaving the giant furnace, the sun
which is 1.5X1011 m away. The sun has an effective blackbody temperature of 5762 K. The
temperature in the central region is much higher and it is estimated at 8X106 to 40X106 K. In
effect the sun is a continuous fusion reactor in which hydrogen is turned into helium. The sun’s
total energy output is 3.8X1020 MW which is equal to 63 MW/m2 of the sun’s surface. This
energy radiates outwards in all directions. Only a tiny fraction, 1.7X1014 kW, of the total
radiation emitted is intercepted by the earth. However, even with this small fraction it is

5
estimated that 30 min of solar radiation falling on earth is equal to the world energy demand for
one year. The greatest advantage of solar energy as compared with other forms of energy is that
it is clean and can be supplied without any environmental pollution. Solar energy collectors are
special kind of heat exchangers that transform solar radiation energy to internal energy of the
transport medium. The major component of any solar system is the solar collector. This is a
device which absorbs the incoming solar radiation, converts it into heat, and transfers this heat to
a fluid (usually air, water, or oil) flowing through the collector. The solar energy thus collected is
carried from the circulating fluid either directly to the hot water or space conditioning equipment
or to a thermal energy storage tank from which can be drawn for use at night and/or cloudy days.
In this section a review of the various types of collectors currently available will be presented.
This includes Flat Plate Collector, Evacuated Tube Collector, and concentrating collectors.

1.3.1 Flat Plate Collectors

Figure 3: - Flat Plate Collectors

A typical flat-plate solar collector is shown. When solar radiation passes through a
transparent cover and impinges on the blackened absorber surface of high absorptivity, a large
portion of this energy is absorbed by the plate and then transferred to the transport medium in the

6
fluid tubes to be carried away for storage or use. The underside of the absorber plate and the side
of casing are well insulated to reduce conduction losses. The liquid tubes can be welded to the
absorbing plate, or they can be an integral part of the plate. The liquid tubes are connected at
both ends by large diameter header tubes. The transparent cover is used to reduce convection
losses from the absorber plate through the restraint of the stagnant air layer between the absorber
plate and the glass. It also reduces radiation losses from the collector as the glass is transparent to
the short-wave radiation received by the sun but it is nearly opaque to long-wave thermal
radiation emitted by the absorber plate (greenhouse effect).
Flat Plate Collector (FPC) are usually permanently fixed in position and require no
tracking of the sun. The collectors should be oriented directly towards the equator, facing south
in the northern hemisphere and north in the southern. The optimum tilt angle of the collector is
equal to the latitude of the location with angle variations of 10–15°C more or less depending on
the application. FPC are by far the most used type of collector. FPC are usually employed for
low temperature applications up to 100°C, although some new types of collectors employing
vacuum insulation and/or thermal insulation can achieve slightly higher values. Due to the
introduction of highly selective coatings actual standard FPC can reach stagnation temperatures
of more than 200°C. With these collectors good efficiencies can be obtained up to temperatures
of about 100°C.

1.3.2 Evacuated Tube Collector

Figure 4: - Evacuated Tube Collector

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 Conventional simple flat-plate solar collectors were developed for use in sunny and warm
climates. Their benefits however are greatly reduced when conditions become unfavorable
during cold, cloudy and windy days. Furthermore, weathering influences such as condensation
and moisture will cause early deterioration of internal materials resulting in reduced performance
and system failure. Evacuated heat pipe solar collectors (tubes) operate differently than the other
collectors available on the market. These solar collectors consist of a heat pipe inside a vacuum-
sealed tube. The vacuum envelope reduces convection and conduction losses, so the collectors
can operate at higher temperatures than FPC. Like FPC, they collect both direct and diffuse
radiation. However, their efficiency is higher at low incidence angles. This effect tends to give
ETC an advantage over FPC in day-long performance. Because no evaporation or condensation
above the phase-change temperature is possible, the heat pipe offers inherent protection from
freezing and overheating. This self- limiting temperature control is a unique feature of the
evacuated heat pipe collector.
Evacuated Tube Collector (ETC) use liquid–vapour phase change materials to transfer
heat at high efficiency. These collectors feature a heat pipe (a highly efficient thermal conductor)
placed inside a vacuum-sealed tube. The pipe, which is a sealed copper pipe, is then attached to a
black copper fin that fills the tube (absorber plate). Protruding from the top of each tube is a
metal tip attached to the sealed pipe (condenser). The heat pipe contains a small amount of fluid
(e.g. methanol) that undergoes an evaporating-condensing cycle. In this cycle, solar heat
evaporates the liquid, and the vapour travels to the heat sink region where it condenses and
releases its latent heat. The condensed fluid return back to the solar collector and the process is
repeated. When these tubes are mounted, the metal tips up, into a heat exchanger (manifold).
Water, or glycol, flows through the manifold and picks up the heat from the tubes. The heated
liquid circulates through another heat exchanger and gives off its heat to a process or to water
that is stored in a solar storage tank. The advantage of this design is that it is made entirely of
glass and it is not necessary to penetrate the glass envelope in order to extract heat from the tube
thus leakage losses are not present and it is also less expensive than the single envelope system.

8
1.3.3 Parabolic Trough Collector

Figure 5: - Parabolic Trough Collector

To deliver high temperatures with good efficiency a high-performance solar collector is
required. Systems with light structures and low-cost technology for process heat applications up
to 400 °C could be obtained with parabolic through collectors (PTCs). PTCs are the most mature
solar technology to generate heat at temperatures up to 400°C for solar thermal electricity
generation or process heat applications PTCs can effectively produce heat at temperatures
between 50 and 400 °C.
PTCs are made by bending a sheet of reflective material into a parabolic shape. A metal
black tube, covered with a glass tube to reduce heat losses, is placed along the focal line of the
receiver. When the parabola is pointed towards the sun, parallel rays incident on the reflector are
reflected onto the receiver tube. It is sufficient to use a single axis tracking of the sun and thus
long collector modules are produced. The collector can be orientated in an east–west direction,
tracking the sun from north to south, or orientated in a north–south direction and tracking the sun
from east to west. The advantages of the former tracking mode is that very little collector
adjustment is required during the day and the full aperture always faces the sun at noon time but
the collector performance during the early and late hours of the day is greatly reduced due to
large incidence angles (cosine loss). North–south orientated troughs have their highest cosine
loss at noon and the lowest in the mornings and evenings when the sun is due east or due west.
The receiver of a parabolic trough is linear. Usually, a tube is placed along the focal line
to form an external surface receiver. The size of the tube, and therefore the concentration ratio, is

9
determined by the size of the reflected sun image and the manufacturing tolerances of the trough.
The surface of the receiver is typically plated with selective coating that has a high absorptance
for solar radiation, but a low emittance for thermal radiation loss. A glass cover tube is usually
placed around the receiver tube to reduce the convective heat loss from the receiver, thereby
further reducing the heat loss coefficient. A disadvantage of the glass cover tube is that the
reflected light from the concentrator must pass through the glass to reach the absorber, adding a
transmittance loss of about 0.9, when the glass is clean. The glass envelope usually has an
antireflective coating to improve transmissivity. One way to further reduce convective heat loss
from the receiver tube and thereby increase the performance of the collector, particularly for high
temperature applications, is to evacuate the space between the glass cover tube and the receiver.
A tracking mechanism must be reliable and able to follow the sun with a certain degree of
accuracy, return the collector to its original position at the end of the day or during the night, and
also track during periods of intermittent cloud cover.

1.4 Nitrogen as A Working Fluid

Nitrogen (N2) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that makes up 78.09% (by
volume) of the air we breathe. It is non-flammable and it will not support combustion. Nitrogen
gas is slightly lighter than air and slightly soluble in water. It is commonly thought of and used
as an inert gas; but it is not truly inert. It forms nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide with oxygen,
ammonia with hydrogen, and nitrogen sulphide with sulphur. Nitrogen compounds are formed
naturally through biological activity. Compounds are also formed at high temperature or at
moderate temperature with the aid of catalysts. At high temperatures, nitrogen will combine with
active metals, such as lithium, magnesium and titanium to form nitrides. Nitrogen is necessary
for various biological processes, and is used as a fertilizer, usually in the form of ammonia or
ammonia-based compounds. Compounds formed with halogens and certain organic compounds
can be explosive. Nitrogen condenses at its boiling point, -195.8o C, to a colorless liquid that is
lighter than water. Nitrogen is generally a reliable dry gas, which is economic, safe (when
handled properly) and chemically inert with most metals and materials.

10
 CHAPTER 2

OBJECTIVE OF WORK

Traditional heat storage techniques have several disadvantages for long-term heat
storage, such as substantial loss of relatively low energy density large volume. As an alternative,
it is possible to store energy by means of chemical processes, making use of the reversible
chemical reaction. Certain thermochemical materials such as MgSO4 have enough encrypt
storage density and have reaction temperatures in the proper range. These requirements are
fulfilled by several alternative hydrates. This material could be interesting for seasonal storage.
When heat is needed for residential heating the magnesium sulfate is hydrated, producing heat
During summer, the hydrate is dehydrated by heat from solar collector, which can be regarded as
changing of the material. Once the chemical reaction has taken place the solar heat can be stored
in this way for a long period without losses.

A good setup for charging of the magnesium sulfate hydrate is important for an optimal
design of a thermochemical storage. Solar energy can be used as the most promising available
method of charging MgSO4. The solar radiation from the sum can be used to heat a suitable fluid
which can de hydrate the MgSO4 salt completely. A suitable model is to be analyzed in such a
way that it completely dehydrates the MgSO4 salt without any change in its thermochemical
properties.

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 CHAPTER 3
MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF PARABOLIC TROUGH
COLLECTOR

The simulation of the Solar Parabolic Though Collector is the aim of this study. For this,
a PTC model is designed and modelled in ANSYS Workbench 16.0 software. The schematic
model of Parabolic Solar Trough Collector made of a long reflective surface, long tube placed at
the focus and nitrogen gas is considered as the conducting fluid flowing through the tube. The
reflector is made of the aluminium and the receiver tube which is placed at the focus of the PTC
is made of copper. The collector tube consists of copper absorber tube. The solar radiation is
reflected to the tube by parabolic trough and absorbed by tube wall. As a result, much of the
energy will be conducted to the inner surface of tube and transferred by the working fluid i.e.
nitrogen gas in tube with mixed convective heat transfer. The solar flux and flow are uniform,
and many correlations in the models are also based on a uniform temperature. However, because
of the non-uniform solar flux on the surface of the absorber tube, the flow will be heated
asymmetrically and thus will be non-uniform. The present study focuses on analysing the heat
transfer phenomenon by comprehensively modelling the PTC using Fluid Flow (Fluent) on
ANSYS Workbench 16.0 software. The solar ray has been traced for 6 hours of the day for
location in Kasaragod district in Kerala, India (Geographical location: N 12.5102° & E 74.852°).
The analysis is conducted on fair weather condition on 20th May 2019.

3.1 CFD Analysis of The Parabolic Trough Collector model

The schematic model of Parabolic Solar Collector as shown in figure 6 is made of a long
reflective surface and long tube placed at the focus. It is modelled in ANSYS workbench
software with reflector 400mm wide, 1m long, 1.5mm thick and it is made up of aluminium. The
receiver is a copper tube of diameter 8mm, 0.5mm thick and 1m long. The receiver tube is placed
at the focus of the parabolic through collector.

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 Figure 6: - Model of Parabolic Trough Collector

The simulation of the model is done during the study and the results obtained, which are
shown below. The figure 7 shows the temperature variation across the receiver and the collector
surface. The maximum receiver surface is found to be 118.611°C near the nitrogen outlet region
of the absorber while the collector surface found to remains at constant temperature.

13
 Figure 7: - Temperature Profile of PTC Model

Figure 8: - Temperature Profile of Absorber Tube of PTC Model

14
 The figure 8 shows the temperature variation of the receiver surface along the length
from inlet to outlet. The maximum temperature of the pipe is found to be 118.611°C along the
length towards the nitrogen outlet for a mass flow rate of 0.5 kg/hr. It can be seen that the
temperature of the pipe surface is found to increase along the length of the pipe.

3.2 CFD Analysis of Parabolic Trough Collector

The modelling is done on ANSYS workbench 16.0 software with reflector 800mm wide,
3.0m long, 1.5mm thick and it is made up of aluminium. The receiver is a copper tube of
diameter 8mm, 0.5mm thick and 3.0m long placed at the focus of the trough.

Figure 9: - Model of Parabolic Trough Collector

The meshing is an important operation in CFD modelling as the quality of the meshing
determines the accuracy of the solution. The meshing of the PTC model is as shown in figure 10
below.

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 Figure 10: - Mesh of The Model

Figure 11: - Mesh of The Absorber Tube

The model designed is simulated in the Ansys Workbench Software with K-Ɛ-Realizable
fluid model and Solar Roseland Radiation model with Solar Calculator. The solar calculator is
set at the N 12.5102° & E 74.852° which corresponds to Kasaragod at 05:30 GMT. The various
properties of the simulation model are mentioned in Appendix [B]. The simulation of the
Parabolic through collector is done during the study and the results obtained which are shown
below. The figure 12 shows the temperature variation across the receiver and the collector
surface. The maximum receiver surface is found to be 281.94°C near the nitrogen outlet region
of the absorber while the collector surface found to remains at constant temperature.

16
Figure 12: - Temperature Profile of Collector

Figure 13: - Temperature Profile of Absorber Tube

17
 The figure 13 shows the temperature variation of the receiver surface along the length
from inlet to outlet. The maximum temperature of the pipe is found to be 281.94°C along the
length towards the nitrogen outlet for a mass flow rate of 0.5 kg/hr. It can be seen that the
temperature of the pipe surface is found to increase along the length of the pipe.

18
 CHAPTER 4
EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS Of PARABOLIC TROUGH
COLLECTOR MODEL

4.1 Experimental analysis

For conducting experimental analysis, a 50% scaled model of the ANSYS model is
fabricated and experiment is conducted on it.

Figure 14: - Parabolic Trough Collector Model

4.1.1 Experimental setup: -

Length of copper pipe – 1m

Diameter of copper pipe – 8mm
Length of the trough – 1m
Diameter of the trough – 400mm
0.5mm thick aluminium reflection sheet with magnesium coating is used on the trough

19
Flow control valve
12V air compressor – for the continuous flow of air (conducting medium)
12V 7A battery – for operating the compressor

4.1.2 Measurement devices: -

4.1.2.1 Thermocouple: - A thermocouple is an electrical device consisting of two
dissimilar electrical conductors forming electrical junctions at differing temperatures. A
thermocouple produces a temperature-dependent voltage because of the thermoelectric effect,
and this voltage can be interpreted to measure temperature. Thermocouples are a widely used
type of temperature sensor. Commercial thermocouples are inexpensive, interchangeable, are
supplied with standard connectors, and can measure a wide range of temperatures. In contrast to
most other methods of temperature measurement, thermocouples are self-powered and require no
external form of excitation. The main limitation with thermocouples is precision; system errors
of less than one degree Celsius (°C) can be difficult to achieve.

Figure 15: - Thermocouple

4.1.2.2 Anemometer: - An anemometer is an instrument that measures wind speed and

wind pressure. Anemometers are important tools for meteorologists, who study weather patterns.
They are also important to the work of physicists, who study the way air moves. It can measure
an analog signal, like a mechanical movement or an electric current, produced due to the wind.

20
The value of this signal is compared with precalibrated standard values of wind velocity. Thus,
the unknown wind speed is measured. A digital anemometer works on the same principle.
Spinning cups turn a paddle wheel inside a metal canister under a digital anemometer. Each time
the paddle wheel rotates, it breaks a light beam and generates a pulse of current. An electronic
circuit times the pulses and uses them to calculate the wind speed.

Figure 16: - Anemometer

4.1.2 Experimental Procedure: -

The analysing of Parabolic trough collector is done by exposing the trough collector of
1m length and 400mm diameter to the direct sunlight. Trough collector is tilted and arranged to
appropriate position such that solar rays falls directly on the collector. The 8mm diameter copper
tube is arranged on the focal length of the trough as the solar rays reflected from the collector
gets concentrated on the focal point of the parabolic trough. Using a compressor air is made to
flow through the copper tube at constant rate. The flow velocity of air is adjusted and made
constant by using gate valve in the compressor and an anemometer. Experiment is conducted to
determine the change in flow velocities and the temperature difference on inlet and outlet of the
copper tube. Thus, the experiment is conducted from 11am till 3pm and inlet and outlet
temperature and velocity on a regular interval of 20 minutes are noted. Appendix [2]

21
4.2 Calculation of Thermal Efficiency

Weather condition: Hot weather

Minimum ambient temperature: 32°C @ 11:20AM.
Maximum ambient temperature: 36.2°C @ 02:20 P.M
Thermal Efficiency=Q X 100/ (AHRρ)
Mass flow rate (m) 3.16 kg/hrs = 0.08 kg / sec
For, Initial Temperature (T) = 35 °C at 04:30 PM
Maximum Temperature (T) = 51°C at 04:30 PM
Q=mCΔT= 121.44 W
Efficiency = Q X 100/ (AHRρ) = 21.58%

22
 CHAPTER 5
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The analysis of the PTC was done using the ANSYS Fluent 16.0 for efficient and good
quality post-processing. The commercial software packages used are from the ANSYS suite of
Fluid Dynamics products which has great potential for doing parametric analysis.

5.1 Validation of PTC Model for Charging of TCM

Figure 17: - Temperature v/s Position of Model (CFD analysis)

The solar radiation reflected from the parabolic trough with solar ray tracing on given
latitude and longitude conditions is made to concentrate on the absorber placed on the focus of
the trough. The analysis is done for 6 hours of 20th May 2019 on ANSYS Fluent 16.0 software
and the temperature raise so obtained is plotted. The maximum temperature in the outlet is found
to be 118.611°C.

23
 Inlet and Outlet Temperature with Time
60

50
Temperature (K)

40

30

20

10

Time (hours)
Inlet Temp. Outlet Temp.

Figure 18: - Inlet and Outlet Temperature v/s Time from experiment

The experimental data obtained from the model is plotted with respect to time. The
maximum temperature is obtained to be 51°C at 14:20 hours with an ambient temperature of
36.2°C and the velocity at the point is found to be 1.79m/s when the flow rate at the inlet is
maintained at 1m/s.
While conducting the CFD analysis on the model of 400mm diameter and 1m length, its
obtained that the model can provide an outlet temperature of about 119°C on the nitrogen which
is used as the conducting fluid. The same model is experimentally evaluated for 6 hours of
working time on 20th May 2019 and it’s found that the maximum temperature obtained is 52°C
on the air which is used as the conductive fluid. The variation on both CFD and experimental
results can be due to difference is the conductive fluid used on both that is nitrogen and air
respectively. Also, the practical difficulty in attaining standard conditions as per the ANSYS
design can be a major cause of variation in results. This variation of result can be used to keep a
suitable factor of safety scale for fabricating the designed CFD model. The model is analysed for
its thermal efficiency and is found to be 21.58%.

24
5.2 CFD Analysis of Parabolic Trough Collector for Charging of TCM

Figure 19: - Temperature v/s Position on Absorber (CFD analysis)

The solar radiation reflected from the parabolic trough with solar ray tracing on given
latitude and longitude conditions is made to concentrate on the absorber placed on the focus of
the trough. The analysis is done for 6 hours of 20th May 2019 and the temperature raise so
obtained is plotted. The maximum temperature in the outlet is found to be 281.94°C. The
temperature required for the complete dehydration of MgSO4 is about 275°C, so by considering
this, we can say it’s theoretically possible to convert MgSO4.7H2O to anhydrous MgSO4 using a
trough collector of 3.0m long and 800mm diameter. While conducting experiments on the PTC
model for the validation of PTC analysis, it came to our knowledge that variation can exist
between the practical and numerical results. This variation can be due to varying weather
condition which can happen during practical application and unaccounted efficiency losses in the
CFD analysis. Thus, its clear from the study that a parabolic trough collector is suitable for the
complete dehydration of MgSO4 which is used as the thermochemical material in
thermochemical energy storage. But further studies should be conducted to know about the
25
unaccounted losses that caused this variation, and to arrive at a practical solution for the
specification of the parabolic trough collector. The suitability of parabolic trough collector as a
charging setup for the thermochemical material can be enhanced by incorporating efficiency
improving techniques on PTC such us fins, solar ray tracking, usage of evacuated tube at the
focus of PTC instead of copper tube and efficient reloop system.

26
 CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSION

A detailed model of Parabolic Trough Collector has been developed using ANSYS
Workbench 16.0 software that includes radiation as well as conduction and convection heat
transfer, for obtaining an efficient setup for the complete dehydration of MgSO4. And simulation
done on ANSYS is experimentally analysed. The Roseland radiation model is used along with
the solar calculator to simulate the parabolic trough collector for the solar loading on CFD
analysis. The temperature of the absorber tube is analysed, and all the results obtained were
noted. The maximum nitrogen outlet temperature is found to be 282°C. The reliability of the
results is analysed for the accuracy of the model. This is done by the experimentation of results
on a model fabricated which was found out and can be used to get an accurate model for
dehydrating MgSO4 salt. The model is analysed for its thermal efficiency and is found to be
21.58%. The variation on both CFD and experimental results can be due to difference is the
conductive fluid used on both that is nitrogen and air respectively. Also, the practical difficulty
in attaining standard conditions as per the ANSYS design can be a major cause of variation in
results. This variation of result can be used to keep a suitable factor of safety scale for fabricating
the designed CFD model. Thus, its clear from the study that a parabolic trough collector is
suitable for the complete dehydration of MgSO4 which is used as the thermochemical material in
thermochemical energy storage. But further studies should be conducted to know about the
unaccounted losses that caused this variation, and to arrive at a practical solution for the
specification of the parabolic trough collector. The suitability of parabolic trough collector as a
charging setup for the thermochemical material can be enhanced by incorporating efficiency
improving techniques on PTC such us fins, solar ray tracking, usage of evacuated tube at the
focus of PTC instead of copper tube and efficient reloop system.

27
 APPENDIX A
Gaseous Nitrogen Physical and Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula N2

Molecular Weight 28.01

Boiling Point at 1 atm 195.8°C

Freezing Point at 1 atm -210°C

Critical Temperature –146.9°C

Critical Pressure 33.5 atm

Density, Liquid, at BP, 1 atm 808.5 kg/m3

Density, Gas at 68°F (20°C), 1 atm 1.16 kg/m3

Specific Gravity, Gas (air=1) (20°C), 1 atm 0.967

Specific Gravity, Liquid (water=1) (20°C), 1 0.808

atm
Specific Volume at (20°C), 1 atm 0.861 m3 /kg

Latent Heat of Vaporization 199.1 kJ/kg

Expansion Ratio, Liquid to Gas, BP (20°C) 1 to 694

28
 APPENDIX B
Properties used in CFD analysis

Properties Values
Reflectivity of collector 0.9
Atmosphere temperature 26.0°C
Collector Emissivity 0.88
Receiver Absorptivity 0.96
Viscosity 1.663X10-6

29
 APPENDIX C
Experimental Results From Model

Inlet Outlet Ambient Velocity Velocity

No. Time Temp. Temp. Temp Inlet Outlet
[Hours] [°C] [°C] [°C] [m/s] [m/s]
1 11:20 31 37 32 1 1.4

2 11:40 32 40 33 1 1.4

3 12:00 32 41.8 33.5 1 1.45

4 12:20 33.5 43.4 34.5 1 1.5

5 12:40 34 44.5 35 1 1.52

6 13:00 34.5 46 35.3 1 1.58

7 13:20 34.5 46.5 35 1 1.6

8 13:40 34.5 47.5 35.5 1 1.64

9 14:00 35 49 36 1 1.67

10 14:20 35.2 51 36.2 1 1.79

11 14:40 34.8 50 35.8 1 1.78

12 15:00 34.5 48.8 35 1 1.76

30
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