Abstract
The overall efficiency of a parabolic trough collector is a function of both the fraction of direct normal radiation absorbed by the receiver (the optical efficiency) and the heat lost to the environment when the receiver is at operating temperature. The overall efficiency can be determined by testing the collector under actual operating conditions or by separately measuring these two components.This paper describes how outdoor measurement of the optical efficiency is combined with laboratory measurements of receiver heat loss to obtain an overall efficiency curve. Further, it presents a new way to plot efficiency that is more robust over a range of receiver operating temperatures.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 10 |
| State | Published - 2010 |
| Event | SolarPACES 2010 - Perpignan, France Duration: 21 Sep 2010 → 24 Sep 2010 |
Conference
| Conference | SolarPACES 2010 |
|---|---|
| City | Perpignan, France |
| Period | 21/09/10 → 24/09/10 |
NREL Publication Number
- NREL/CP-5500-49304
Keywords
- efficiency
- heat losses
- optical
- parabolic trough