School of Engineering

ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Renewable Energy Conversions

Applications of Solar Thermal Collectors

Dr. Asma Aziz

Semester 1, 2021
 School of Engineering
Learning outcome ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• After completing this topic, students will be able to:

– Discuss different applications of solar thermal collector
– Discuss different types of collectors based on its fluid circulation
mechanism
– Explain how solar thermal power systems work
• Types and scales of power plants
– Present some examples of solar thermal power plants

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 School of Engineering
Outline ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Types and characteristic of solar water heating systems

• Applications of SWH systems
– Domestic
– Commercial
• Solar thermal power systems
– Types and functioning
– Applications
– Case studies
• Performance evaluation of solar water heating systems 3
 School of Engineering
Testing of flat plate collector ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Feed a constant inlet temperature into the collector

over a period with stable and relatively constant solar
radiation level and ambient temperature
• Parameters to measure
– the inlet temperature,
– output temperature,
– flow rate,
– solar radiation and
– ambient temperature
• Measure the useful heat produced by the collector
(mass flow rate x Cp x T) 4
 School of Engineering
Testing of flat plate collector ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Calculate the solar

radiation incident on the
collector
– Collect area x solar radiation
per m2
• Calculate the efficiency
– useful heat produced 
incident solar radiation
• Repeat for a number of
inlet temperature values, (Tin – Ta)/HT
and Source: Duffie and Beckman, "Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes", 2nd Edition, Wiley, N
York, 1991
• Plot efficiency versus (Tin –
Ta)/HT 5
 School of Engineering
Testing of flat plate collector ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

The figure shows characteristics of five

flat-plate liquid heaters. Details of plate
thickness, tube spacing, etc. vary among
these collectors.
These are:
• Curve (a) – one-cover, selective black
chrome absorber
• Curve (b) – two-cover, selective black
chrome absorber
• Curve (c) – one-cover, flat-black
absorber
• Curve (d) – two polycarbonate covers,
polymeric flat black absorber with
close spaced tubes
• Curve (e) – unglazed flat-black (Tin – Ta)/HT
absorber. The slope of this curve will Source: Duffie and Beckman, "Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes", 2nd Edition, Wiley, New
be very sensitive to wind speed, as York, 1991
there is no glass cover on this 6
collector.
 School of Engineering
Performance of FPC ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• A measure of collector performance is the collection

efficiency
– The ratio of the useful gain over some specified time period to the
incident solar energy over the same time period

• We have !"# $% & '( ) &) *

'( ) & )
• This gives = $%) −
"#
7
 School of Engineering
Performance of FPC ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• For a given collector operating under steady conditions

– FR, UL and () can be considered to be constant
• From a plot of  vs (Tfi-Ta)/HT graph
– The slope of this line represents the heat loss rate for the collector. The
intercept of the line on the efficiency axis is the optical efficiency. That is
• The slope is - FRUL; and
• The intercept is - FR()

8
http://energy.kth.se/compedu/webcompedu/webhelp/S9_Renewable_Energy/B5_Solar_Energy/C3_Adv
anced_Solar_Thermal/ID107_files/Heat_Removal_Factor.htm
 School of Engineering
Evacuated Tube Collector ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Consists of a heat pipe inside a

vacuum-sealed tube
• Benefits
– Higher efficiency
– No convection losses
– Can produce high temperature
– Good for cold climates
– Less maintenance
• Disadvantages
– High cost
– Fragile 9
Image source: https://www.slideshare.net/GravydasKruopys/solar-thermal-energy-69469589
Classification of solar thermal School of Engineering
systems ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

On the basis of desired temperature

Low temperature Medium temperature High temperature
(T<1000C) (1000CT3000C) (T>3000C)

Cooking, Air heating,

Water heating, Space heating,
Refrigeration and AC, Process heat, power
Drying, Distillation
Distillation

Flat plate Solar Solar Parabolic Fresnel Central Parabolic

collectors chimney Pond trough collectors tower dish
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https://www.slideshare.net/bapikumar144/solar-thermal-tech-pradhan?from_action=save
 School of Engineering
Water heating system ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Passive (natural circulation or

thermosiphon) water heater

Forced circulation water

heating system
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 School of Engineering
Water heating system ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Passive (natural circulation or

thermosiphon) water heater

Forced circulation water

heating system
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 School of Engineering
Passive solar water heaters ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Rely on gravity and the

tendency of water to naturally
circulate as it is heated.
• The tank is located above the
collector.
• Contain no electrical
components
– Easier to maintain - a longer work life. https://www.solartubs.com/types-of-solar-heating.html

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 School of Engineering
Passive solar water heaters ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Integral collector storage (ICS) systems

– Consist of one or more storage tanks placed in an insulated box with a
glazed side facing the sun
– Performance of ICS systems can be estimated by solving the energy
balance equation
• Thermosypohon systems
– An economical and reliable choice, especially in
new homes
– Rely on natural convection of warm water rising
to circulate water through the collectors and to
http://simplesolarinfo.blogspot.com.au/2 14
the tank. Tanks are located above the collector 014/04/know-about-thermosyphon-in-
solar-water.html
 School of Engineering
Passive solar water heaters ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Integral collector storage (ICS) systems

– Consist of one or more storage tanks placed in an insulated box with a
glazed side facing the sun
– Performance of ICS systems can be estimated by solving the energy
balance equation
• Thermosypohon systems
– An economical and reliable choice, especially in
new homes
– Rely on natural convection of warm water rising
to circulate water through the collectors and to
http://simplesolarinfo.blogspot.com.au/2 15
the tank. Tanks are located above the collector 014/04/know-about-thermosyphon-in-
solar-water.html
 School of Engineering
Passive solar space heating ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• In simple words….
– Aims to keep out summer sun and let in winter sun while ensuring the
building’s overall thermal performance
• No additional mechanical assistance; less costly and less
complex than active systems.
• Types
– Direct gain: The simplest system that stores and slowly releases heat
energy from the sun
– Indirect gain: Similar to direct gain – uses materials that hold, store, and
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release heat
 School of Engineering
Water heating system ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Nonfreezing fluid with

internal heat exchanger

Nonfreezing fluid with

external heat exchanger
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 School of Engineering
Water heating system ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Nonfreezing fluid with

internal heat exchanger

Nonfreezing fluid with

external heat exchanger
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 School of Engineering
Active solar space heating ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Consist of collectors that collect and absorb solar

radiation
• Electric fans or pumps are used to transfer and
distribute the thermal energy.
• Active systems generally have an energy-storage system
– To provide heat when the sun is not shining.
• The two basic types
– Use either liquid or air as the heat-transfer medium in their solar energy
collectors. 19
 School of Engineering
Active solar space heating ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Air-based systems heat air in

an air collector
– Usually employ an air-to-water heat
exchanger to supply heat to the
domestic hot water system Basic hot-air system

• Liquid-based system heats

water or an antifreeze
solution in a hydronic
collector
20
Basic hot-water system
 School of Engineering
Air-based systems ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Advantages:
Problems of freezing and boiling in the collectors are eliminated and
corrosion problems are reduced.
The high degree of stratification possible in the pebble bed leads to lower
collector inlet fluid temperatures.
Disadvantages:
Possibility of relatively high fluid pumping costs.
Air systems are relatively difficult to seal, and leakage of solar-heated air
from collectors and ductwork can represent a significant energy loss from
the system.
Air collectors are operated at lower fluid capacitance rates and thus with
lower values of FR than are liquid heating collectors 21
 School of Engineering
Active solar water heaters ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Protection against freezing

– Antifreeze system
• Uses a non-freeze fluid in the collector system, which heats the water in the
storage tank through a heat exchanger
• Heat exchanger can be external to the tank, wrapped around the tank, or a coil
within the tank relying on natural circulation of the water in the tank for heat
transfer.
– Drainback system
• Uses pumps to drain out the water from the collector during freezing
temperature and/or when the system is not operating.
• Need to ensure the system is vented at their highest point, and collector and
pipes are totally emptied 22
Automatic drain-down open-loop School of Engineering
water heater for domestic use ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

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 School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_hP9-vozxU
 School of Engineering
Operating Modes ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

It is useful to consider solar systems as having four basic modes of operation,

depending on the conditions that exist in the system at a particular time:
A. If solar energy is available and heat is not needed in the building, energy
gain from the collector is added to storage.
B. If solar energy is available and heat is needed in the building, energy gain
from the collector is used to supply the building need.
C. If solar energy is not available, heat is needed in the building, and the
storage unit has stored energy in it, the stored energy is used to supply the
building need.
D. If solar energy is not available, heat is needed in the building, and the
storage unit has been depleted, auxiliary energy is used to supply the
building need. 25
 School of Engineering
Activity ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Point the alternative location for auxiliary energy supply to make this
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single tank system more reliable
 School of Engineering
Solution ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

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 School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

A Energy can be supplied to the water in the tank, at location A.

Auxiliary energy is controlled by a thermostat in the top part of

the tank which keeps the temperature in the top portion at or
above a minimum setpoint.
Simplest and the least expensive method.
Disadvantage:
The auxiliary energy supply may increase the temperature of the
water in the bottom of the tank and thus the collector inlet
temperature, resulting in reduction of solar gain. In standard
electric domestic hot-water tanks there are two elements, one
near the bottom and one about one-third of the way down from
the top. When using such a tank in a solar system, it is common
practice to disable the lower element so that the lower two-
thirds of the tank is essentially solar energy storage and the
upper one-third of the tank is auxiliary energy storage.
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 School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

B Auxiliary energy can be supplied to the

water leaving the tank, thus ‘‘topping off’’
the solar energy with auxiliary energy.

Requires a heater separate from the solar

tank. This heater may be a simple line
heater or it may be a conventional water
heater with storage capacity of its own.
Advantage:
Using the maximum possible solar energy
from the tank without driving up the
collector temperature, but additional heat
loss will occur from the auxiliary heater if it
has storage capacity.

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 School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

C Auxiliary energy can be added directly to the

incoming supply water by bypassing the tank when
auxiliary energy is needed.

A simple method but has the disadvantage that

either the solar heated water or the auxiliary
heated water must have a temperature above the
setpoint so that mixing the two streams produces
the desired setpoint temperature.

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Effectiveness-NTU Calculations School of Engineering
For Heat Exchangers ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• It is convenient in solar process system calculations to

use the effectiveness-NTU (number of transfer units)
method of calculation of heat exchanger performance

Adiabatic countercurrent heat exchange

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 School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• The maximum possible temperature drop of the hot fluid is from

Thi to Tci  the heat transfer for this situation would be

• The maximum possible temperature rise of the cold fluid would

be from Tci to Thi. The corresponding maximum heat exchange
would be
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Effectiveness-NTU Calculations School of Engineering
For Heat Exchangers ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• The maximum heat transfer that could occur in the

exchanger is thus fixed by the lower of the two
capacitance rates

• The actual heat exchange Q is given by

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Effectiveness-NTU Calculations School of Engineering
For Heat Exchangers ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Effectiveness ε is defined as the ratio of the actual heat

exchange that occurs to the maximum possible,
Q/Qmax, so

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Effectiveness-NTU Calculations School of Engineering
For Heat Exchangers ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Since either the hot or cold fluid has the minimum

capacitance rate, the effectiveness can always be
expressed in terms of the temperatures only  The
working equation for the heat exchanger is

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Effectiveness-NTU Calculations School of Engineering
For Heat Exchangers ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• For a counterflow exchanger, the effectiveness is given

by

where

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 School of Engineering
Practice problem 1 ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Problem: A heat exchanger is located between a

collector and a storage tank. The fluid on the collector
side is an antifreeze, a glycol-water mixture
with Cp=3850J/kgK. Its flow rate is 1.25 kg/s. The fluid
on the tank side is water, and its flow rate is 0.864 kg/s.
The UA (overall conductance) of the heat exchanger is
estimated to be 6500 W/K.
– If the hot glycol from the collector enters the exchanger at 620C and the
cool water from the tank enters at 350C, what is the heat exchange rate
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and what are the outlet temperatures?
 School of Engineering
Practice problem 1 ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Solution
– First calculate the capacitance rates on the hot (collector) and cold
(tank) sides of the heat exchanger and C*. Use the symbols Ch and Cc for
the hot- and cold-side capacitance rates:
– Ch = 1.258 x 3850 = 4812 W/K
– Cc = 0.864 x 4180 = 3610 W/K
– The cold-side capacitance rate is the minimum of the two and can be
estimated by C*=3610/4812 = 0.75
– The number of transfer units can be calculated as
– NTU = UA/Cmin = 6500/3610 = 1.80
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–
 School of Engineering
Practice problem 1 ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Solution
1 & , -..0 .-1.23
– The effectiveness is now calculated as 0.69
1 & 0.75, -..0 .-1.23
– The heat transfer is now calculated as Q = 0.69 X 3610 (62-35) = 67,300 W

– The temperature of the fluids leaving the exchanger can also be

calculated as Tco = 35+ (67,300/3610) = 53.60C

– And the leaving-glycol temperature is Tho= 62 – (67300/4812) = 48.00C

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 School of Engineering
Space cooling ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Uses thermally activated cooling systems (TACS).

• Year-round utilization of collected solar heat
– Cost-effective and increased energy contribution of solar installations.
• Systems are sized to provide 30% to 60% of building
cooling requirements using solar
– With the remainder usually dependent on TACS fueled by natural gas.
• Example of TACS include absorption systems and
desiccant systems.
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 School of Engineering
Space cooling ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Solar absorption systems

– Use the thermal energy from a solar collector
– The refrigerant is condensed, throttled, and evaporated to yield a
cooling effect, which is then re-absorbed to continue the cycle.
• Double-effect absorption systems
– More efficient
– High cost
• Evacuated-tube or concentrating collectors are typically
used in absorption cooling system. 43
 School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Schematic of a solar-operated absorption air conditioner. The essential components of the cooler are: A,
absorber; B, generator; C, condenser; E, evaporator; HX, heat exchanger to recover sensible heat; CT, cooling 44
tower. AX is auxiliary energy source
 School of Engineering
Solar Pond ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Water is warmed by the sun expands and

rises as it becomes less dense
• Salinity gradient prevents convection
current
• Solar radiation reaches the lower layer
which contains concentrated salt
solution
• Solar heat is stored in the lower layer of
the pond
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https://www.slideshare.net/shwetasingh225/solar-pond-technology
School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

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 School of Engineering
Solar Pond ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Applications • Advantages
– Salt production – Low investment cost per
– Aquaculture, using saline or fresh installed collection area
water – Low cost thermal storage
– Dairy industry – Can operate in almost any
• To preheat feed water to boilers climate
– Fruits and vegetable canning – More efficient in storing heat
industry than a body of same size
– Grain industry (for grain drying)
– Water supply (for desalination)
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 School of Engineering
Solar thermal power system ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Basic concept
– Energy is collected by either flat plate collector or concentrating
collectors
– If appropriate, energy is stored in a storage system
– Energy is then used to operate a heat engine

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Image source: Duffie and Beckman, 2006
 School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

https://www.science.org.au/curious/video/ivanpah-solar-power-plant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTNU1JMhzxA
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 School of Engineering
Solar thermal power system ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• The overall efficiency of a solar thermal power system depends on two

efficiencies:
– the efficiency of the solar collection processes
– the efficiency of the power conversion processes

R X S R

• The maximum efficiency for the conversion of thermal energy to mechanical or

electrical energy is governed by the Carnot formula:
)
T 1&
• Where )
– Tc is the temperature at which heat is rejected
– Th is the temperature at which heat is supplied 52
 School of Engineering
Thermal power system ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

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School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

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 School of Engineering
What are Receivers? ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1261047 55
 School of Engineering
Receiver types ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Tubular Receivers
– Involves circulating the working fluid or heat transfer fluid through
directly irradiated tubes
– Trough collectors – irradiated tubes enclosed in evacuated glass tube
– Tubes can be arranged to form a cavity by:
• Winding a single tube to form a helical cylinder
• Arranging a number of parallel straight tubes around the outside

• Volumetric Receivers
– Absorb radiation by surfaces directly in contact with the working fluid
– Often done by having a window in front of a cavity containing an 56
absorbing matrix over which the fluid passes
 School of Engineering
Receiver types ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Heat Pipe Receivers

– A container with a liquid/vapour mixture
– Container is essentially all at the boiling point temperature
corresponding to the pressure
– In regions where heat is added, liquid will evaporate
– Where heat is extracted liquid will condense
– Results is a “black box” of extremely high effective conductivity
• Solid state receivers
– Solid state (semiconductor) conversion devices such as concentrating PV
and thermoelectric converters can be used in receivers 57
 School of Engineering
Heat transport mechanism ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Oil
– Synthetic heat transfer oils – heat exchanged with water to
produce steam
• Steam
– Conversion of water to steam in receivers – water/steam
interface can shift with variation in solar radiation etc – rapid
thermal cycling
• Air
– E.g. in European Phoebus central receiver system – air heated 58
to 700°C in an open volumetric mesh receiver
 School of Engineering
Heat transport mechanism ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Molten Salt
– High specific heat, single phase fluid in receiver – can be stored
(but corrosive, reacts with water/air, needs facility for cold
start)
– Mixture of sodium nitrate/potassium nitrate – melting point of
220°C; maintained in a molten state around 290 °C in the “cold”
tank
• Chemical
– Thermochemical cycles with fluid reactants – can provide
energy transport and storage (e.g. ammonia dissociated into
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nitrogen and hydrogen)
 School of Engineering
Concentration ratio ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Geometric concentration ratio, Cg

– The ratio of entrance aperture area to
exit aperture area
source
– Depends on the exit area chosen for
analysis
Aent
• Optical concentration ratio, Co Cg 
– The ratio of exit light intensity to the Aex
entrance light intensity I ex
Co 
– This is defined for any point of an output I ent
flux distribution 60
Concentrating collectors – School of Engineering
types ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Line focusing
– Produces a high density of radiation
on a line at the focus
• Example: Linear Fresnel

• Point focusing
– Produces much higher density of
radiation in the vicinity of a point
• Example: Central tower receiver

• Non-focus https://newenergyportal.wordpress.com/category/solar-energy/
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 School of Engineering
Types of concentrating collectors ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

There are four basic types of concentrating

collectors:

• Parabolic trough system

• Parabolic dish
• Power tower
• Stationary concentrating collectors
 School of Engineering
Parabolic trough system ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Parabolic troughs are devices that are shaped like the letter “u”. The troughs
concentrate sunlight onto a receiver tube that is positioned along the focal line
of the trough. Sometimes a transparent glass tube envelops the receiver tube
to reduce heat loss.
Parabolic troughs often use single-axis or dual-axis tracking.
Their shapes are like letter “u” as shown The parabolic trough sytem is shown in the figure
figure below. below.

Figure Crossection of parabolic trough . Figure: Parabolic trough system

 School of Engineering
Parabolic dish systems ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

A parabolic dish collector is similar in appearance to a large satellite dish, but has mirror-
like reflectors and an absorber at the focal point. It uses a dual axis sun tracker. Parabolic
dish systems can reach 1000 °C at the receiver, and achieve the highest efficiencies for
converting solar energy to electricity in the small-power capacity range
The below figure shows crossection of The Parabolic dish collector is shown in the
parabolic dish. below figure

Figure: Parabolic dish collector with a mirror-like reflectors and

Figure Crossection of parabolic dish. an absorber at the focal point
 School of Engineering
Central Receiver Systems ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Power tower
– Use a circular or semi-circular
array of heliostats
– Concentrate sunlight over 500
times
– Deliver high temperature solar
heat in utility-scale

Image source: https://newenergyportal.wordpress.com/category/solar-

energy/
Central Receiver Systems – School of Engineering
solar two ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Solar Two System

– Until recently, the largest central
receiver solar thermal power plant
demonstrated
– 1018 x 39.1 m2 heliostats plus 108 x 95
m2 heliostats
– Under nominal conditions:
• 48 MWth concentrated onto the receiver
located on top of a 91m tower
• Steam produced in the heat exchanger at
10 Mpa and 538°C
• Net electrical output is 10.4 MWe Image source: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy01osti/28751.pdf
Central Receiver Systems – School of Engineering
Spain ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• PS10: 11 MWe Power tower in

Southern Spain
– Design output – 23 GWh per year
– 624 glass-metal heliostats (121 m2 each)
– Saturated steam cavity receiver producing
steam at 40 bar and 250°C
– Saturate water-steam heat storage (15
MWh) to provide 50 minutes storage at
Image source:
50% load http://www.solarpaces.org/Tasks/Task1/PS10.HTM

– Operational in late 2007

Central Receiver Systems – School of Engineering
Spain ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant Project

(SENER)
– Rated electrical power 19.9MW
– Net electrical production: 80GWh/yr
– Molten-salt technology for storage
Source:
– 15-hour molten salt storage system – 24 hours http://www.torresolenergy.com/TORRES
OL/gemasolar-plant/en
per day operation during summer with annual CF
of 65%
– 2650 glass-metal heliostats (120 m2 each)
– 150m tower height
– Steam generated from the molten salt
Jemalong Solar Station School of Engineering
Pilot – 1.1MWe ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Developer: Vast Solar (2016)

• Location: Forbes, NSW
• Aperture area: 15,000 m2
• #Haliostats: 3,500
• Tower height: 30m
• Inlet temperature: 2700C
• Outlet temperature: 5600C
• Storage: 3 hours liquid sodium http://www.vastsolar.com/portfolio-items/jemalong-solar-station-pilot-1-1mwe/

• Cost: AU$10M
– Pilot project with support from ARENA AU$4.99M
 School of Engineering
Parabolic Trough Systems ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Solar Energy
Generating
Systems (SEGS)
in California's
Mojave Desert.

Image source: http://emcknight.photoshelter.com/image/I000067LBX99Y2xI

 School of Engineering
Parabolic Trough Systems ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

The Parabolic Troughs

Kuraymat parabolic trough solar plant, Egypt.

 School of Engineering
Solar One - Nevada ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

– Nominal production capacity of 72

MW (maximum output of 75 MW)
– Concentrating collectors cover 300
acres
– Went online – June 2007 Source:
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/en
– All of the plant’s electricity production ergy/2007/03/nevada_solar_on.html

is being sold to Nevada Power

Company and Sierra Pacific Power
Company under long-term power
purchase agreements (PPAs)
 School of Engineering
Linear Fresnel Reflectors ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Liddell Power Station, Australia

Manufacturer Novatec Solar
Owner Macquarie Generation
Product name Nova1
Model 4 rows linear Fresnel collectors, solar
augmentation in an existing coal fired
power station
Solar field length 403,2 m
Net aperture area 18,490 m²
Operating temperature 270°C

Operating pressure 55 bar Source: http://www.novatecsolar.com/80-1-Liddell.html

Peak thermal output 9,3 MWth
Thermal Output per year 13,550 MWhth 73
 School of Engineering
Summary ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

• Heat transfer in a solar collector system involves conduction,

convection and radiation
• The useful heat gain in a flat plate collector is the amount of
thermal energy absorbed by the collector, less the heat loss from
the collector
• Heat losses in a collector occur through the top, back and edges
• Performance of a collector can be assessed by ratio of useful
energy gained by the collector to the amount of incident energy
on the collector
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 School of Engineering
ENS5562 Renewable Energy Conversions 1

Thank you

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