Parabolic Trough Collector Performance in a Hot Climate
Publication: Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 1
Abstract
Kuwait receives annual total radiation of roughly with nearly 3,347 h of sunshine. The potential for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions motivates widespread of renewable energy systems. In the research reported in this paper, a numerical model is developed to study the effect of different collector parameters and operating conditions on the performance of parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) in Kuwait climate. The proposed model considers all thermal losses which have been neglected in existing models. New equations were developed and used in the present model as well as reviewing the equations for convective heat transfer losses. The effects of heat conduction in the collector tube wall and mixed convection in the inner tube neglected in previous studies are included in the proposed model. In addition, a case study is presented to examine the feasibility of integrating renewable energy systems in existing buildings. Solar energy absorption system is considered in the research reported in this paper to satisfy cooling load of an existing building. The program conducted on an existing institutional building intending to convert it into near-net-zero energy building. The 2-story building under consideration is the main building at the College of Technological Studies, Kuwait. Computer software is adapted to simulate the performance of different solar system components. The economic calculations for the present study are based on lifecycle savings method. In addition, a numerical model is developed to assess the environmental impacts of building integrated renewable energy systems. The present results indicate that convection loss from the absorber tube to supporting structures is the largest between the other losses. The integrated parabolic trough collectors (PTC) satisfy nearly 73% of the building cooling load under all climatic conditions of Kuwait. The annual avoided emission at the optimum conditions is about 980 t/year which confirms the environmental impacts of these systems in Kuwait. The solar system net cost is almost equal to the current cost of producing electricity in Kuwait.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The writers would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait, for supporting and funding the research reported in this paper, i.e., Research Project No. TS–11-09, entitled, “Assessment of Parabolic Trough Collector Performance in Kuwait Climate.”
References
Adinberg, R., Zvegilsky, D., and Epstein, M. (2010). “Heat transfer efficient thermal energy storage for steam generation.” Energy Convers. Manage., 51(1), 9–15.
Bourrelle, J., Andresen, I., and Gustavsen, A. (2013). “Energy payback, an attribution and environmentally focused approach to energy balance in net zero energy buildings.” Energy Build., 65, 84–92.
Branker, K., Pathak, M. J., and Pearce, J. M. (2011). “A review of solar photovoltaic levelized cost of electricity.” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 15(9), 4470–4482.
Cellura, M., Guarino, F., Longo, S., and Mistretta, M. (2014). “Energy life-cycle approach in net zero energy buildings balance, operation and embodied energy of an Italian case study.” Energy Build., 72, 371–381.
Cheng, Z., He, Y., Xiao, J., Tao, Y., and Xu, R. (2010). “Three-dimensional numerical study of heat transfer characteristics in the receiver tube of parabolic trough solar collector.” Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transfer, 37(7), 782–787.
Da Grac, G., Augusto, A., and Lerer, M. (2012). “Solar powered net zero energy houses for southern Europe, feasibility study.” Solar Energy, 86(1), 634–646.
Daniel, P., Joshi, Y., and Das, A. (2011). “Numerical investigation of parabolic trough receiver performance with outer vacuum shell.” Solar Energy, 85(9), 1910–1914.
Dudley, V., Kolb, G., Sloan, M., and Kearney, D. (1994). “SEGS LS2 solar collector—Test results.”, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM.
Dudley, V., Kolb, G., Sloan, M., and Kearney, D. (1996). “SEGS LS2 solar collector—Test results.”, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM.
Duffie, J. A., and Beckman, W. A. (2004). Solar engineering of thermal processes, Wiley, New York.
Eck, M., and Zarza, E. (2006). “Saturated steam process with direct steam generating parabolic troughs.” Solar Energy, 80(11), 1424–1433.
Edenburn, M. W. (1976). “Performance analysis of a cylindrical parabolic focusing collector and comparison with experimental results.” Solar Energy, 18(5), 437–444.
Eicker, U., Santos, A., Teran, L., Cotrado, M., and Borge-Diez, D. (2014). “Economic evaluation of solar thermal and photovoltaic cooling systems through simulation in different climatic conditions: An analysis in three different cities in Europe.” Energy Build., 70, 207–223.
García, A., Zarza, E., Valenzuela, L., and Rez, M. (2010). “Parabolic-trough solar collectors and their applications.” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 14(7), 1695–1721.
García-Valladares, O., and Velázquez, N. (2009). “Numerical simulation of parabolic trough solar collector: Improvement using counter flow concentric circular heat exchangers.” Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 52(3–4), 597–609.
Gilijamse, W. (1995). “Zero-energy houses in the Netherlands.” Proc., Building Simulation, Univ. of Amsterdam, Netherlands, 276–283.
Gong, G., Huang, X., Wang, J., and Hao, M. (2010). “An optimized model and test of the China’s first high temperature parabolic trough solar receiver.” Solar Energy, 84(12), 2230–2245.
Harrigan, R. (1981). “Handbook for the conceptual design of parabolic trough solar energy systems process heat applications.”, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Washington, DC.
He, Y., Xiao, J., Cheng, Z., and Tao, Y. (2011). “A MCRT and FVM coupled simulation method for energy conversion process in parabolic trough solar collector.” Renew. Energy, 36(3), 976–985.
Hernandez, P., and Kenny, P. (2010). “From net energy to zero energy buildings, defining life cycle zero energy buildings (LC-ZEB).” Energy Build., 42(6), 815–821.
Jing, Y., Bai, H., Wang, J., and Liu, L. (2012). “Life cycle assessment of a solar combined cooling heating and power system in different operation strategies.” Appl. Energy, 92, 843–853.
Kakaç, S., Shah, R. K., and Aung, W. (1987). Handbook of single-phase convective heat transfer, Wiley, New York.
Kalogirou, S., Lloyd, S., and Ward, J. (1997). “Modeling, optimization and performance evaluation of a parabolic trough solar collector steam generation.” Solar Energy, 60(1), 49–59.
Kharseh, M., Altorkmany, L., Al-Khawaj, M., and Hassani, F. (2014). “Warming impact on energy use of HVAC system in buildings of different thermal qualities and in different climates.” Energy Convers. Manage., 81, 106–111.
Klein, S. A., et al. (2006). TRNSYS—A transient simulation program, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
Marszal, A. J., et al. (2011). “Zero energy building–A review of definitions and calculation methodologies.” Energy Build., 43(4), 971–979.
Mazloumi, M., Naghashzadegan, M., and Javaherdeh, K. (2008). “Simulation of solar lithium bromide–water absorption cooling system with parabolic trough collector.” Energy Convers. Manage., 49(10), 2820–2832.
Montes, M., Abánades, A., Martínez-Val, J., and Valdés, M. (2009). “Solar multiple optimization for a solar-only thermal power plant, using oil as heat transfer fluid in the parabolic trough collectors.” Solar Energy, 83(12), 2165–2176.
Odeh, S., Morrison, G., and Behnia, M. (1996). “Thermal analysis of parabolic trough solar collectors for electric power generation.” Proc., ANZSES 34th Annual Conf., Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society, 460–467.
Oliver, M., and Jackson, T. (2001). “Energy and economic evaluation of building integrated photovoltaics.” Energy, 26(4), 431–439.
Poullikkas, A. (2007). “Economic analysis of power generation from parabolic trough solar thermal plants for the Mediterranean region—A case study for the island of Cyprus.” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 13(9), 2474–2484.
Price, H., et al. (2002). “Advances in parabolic trough solar power technology.” J. Solar Energy Eng., 124(2), 109–125.
Rahman, M. M., Rasul, M. G., and Khan, M. M. K. (2010). “Energy conservation measures in an institutional building in sub-tropical climate in Australia.” Appl. Energy, 87(10), 2994–3004.
Raja, V. B., and Shanmugam, V. (2012). “A review and new approach to minimize the cost of solar assisted absorption cooling system.” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 16(9), 6725–6731.
Ratzel, A., Hickox, C., and Gartling, D. (1979). “Techniques for reducing thermal conduction and natural convection heat losses in annular receiver geometries.” J. Heat Transfer Trans. ASME, 101(1), 108–113.
Reijenga, T. H. (2000). “Energy efficient and zero-energy building in the Netherlands.” Proc., Int. Workshop on Energy Efficiency in Buildings in China for the 21st Century, CEEBA, Beijing.
Riffelmann, K., Neumann, A., and Ulmer, S. (2006). “Performance enhancement of parabolic trough collectors by solar flux measurement in the focal region.” Solar Energy, 80(10), 1303–1313.
Rohsenow, W. M., Hartnett, J. P., and Cho, Y. I. (1998). Handbook of heat transfer, 3rd Ed., McGraw–Hill, New York.
Sansoni, P., et al. (2011). “Optical collection efficiency and orientation of a solar trough medium-power plant installed in Italy.” Renew. Energy, 36(9), 2341–2347.
Siegel, R., and Howell, J. R. (1971). Thermal radiation heat transfer, McGraw–Hill, New York.
Souliotis, M., and Tripanagnostopoulos, Y. (2004). “Experimental study of CPC type ICS solar systems.” Solar Energy, 76(4), 389–408.
Stuetzle, T. (2002). “Automatic control of the 30 MWe SEGS VI parabolic trough plant.” M.S. thesis, College of Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
Swinbank, W. (1963). “Long-wave radiation from clear skies.” Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 89(381), 339–348.
Tsoutsos, T., Aloumpi, E., Gkouskos, Z., and Karagiorgas, M. (2010). “Design of a solar absorption cooling system in a Greek hospital.” Energy Build., 42(2), 265–272.
Voss, K., Goetzberger, A., Bopp, G., Häberle, A., Heinzel, A., and Lehmberg, H. (1996). “The self-sufficient solar house in Freiburg—Results of 3 years of operation.” Solar Energy, 58(1–3), 17–23.
Xu, L., Wang, Z., Li, X., Yuan, G., Sun, F., and Lei, D. (2013). “Dynamic test model for the transient thermal performance of parabolic trough solar collectors.” Solar Energy, 95, 65–78.
Yin, H. M., Yang, D. J., Kelly, G., and Garant, J. (2013). “Design and performance of a novel building integrated PV/thermal system for energy efficiency of buildings.” Solar Energy, 87, 184–195.
Zhai, X. Q., Wang, R. Z., Dai, Y. J., and Wu, J. Y. (2008). “Experience on integration of solar thermal technologies with green buildings.” Renew. Energy, 33(8), 1904–1910.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 1 • March 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 8, 2014
Accepted: Jan 8, 2015
Published online: Feb 26, 2015
Discussion open until: Jul 26, 2015
Published in print: Mar 1, 2016
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.