Geometric Analysis of Three-Dimensional Effects of Parabolic Trough Collectors

Marco Binotti; Guangdong Zhu; Allison Gray; Giampaolo Manzolini; Paolo Silva

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2012.10.025

Geometric Analysis of Three-Dimensional Effects of Parabolic Trough Collectors

Marco Binotti, Guangdong Zhu, Allison Gray, Giampaolo Manzolini, Paolo Silva

Center for Energy Conversion and Storage Systems

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

39 Scopus Citations

Abstract

An analytical approach, as an extension of one newly developed method - First-principle OPTical Intercept Calculation (FirstOPTIC)-is proposed to evaluate the geometrical impact of three-dimensional (3-D) effects on the optical performance of parabolic trough collectors. The mathematical steps of this analytical approach are presented and implemented numerically as part of the suite of FirstOPTIC code. The new code has been carefully validated against numerical solutions and ray-tracing simulation results. The FirstOPTIC code is then applied to a series of case studies to examine the impact of some important 3-D effects on the intercept factor. A significant result of this work is the correction of the approach generally accepted for the specularity mirror errors for non-zero incidence angles. The new correlation has been validated using the FirstOPTIC approach and ray tracing.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	88-96
Number of pages	9
Journal	Solar Energy
Volume	88
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2012.10.025 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2012.10.025
State	Published - 2013

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-5500-54642

Keywords

Concentrating solar power
Incidence angle modifier
Intercept factor
Optical analysis
Parabolic trough
Three-dimensional effects

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title = "Geometric Analysis of Three-Dimensional Effects of Parabolic Trough Collectors",

abstract = "An analytical approach, as an extension of one newly developed method - First-principle OPTical Intercept Calculation (FirstOPTIC)-is proposed to evaluate the geometrical impact of three-dimensional (3-D) effects on the optical performance of parabolic trough collectors. The mathematical steps of this analytical approach are presented and implemented numerically as part of the suite of FirstOPTIC code. The new code has been carefully validated against numerical solutions and ray-tracing simulation results. The FirstOPTIC code is then applied to a series of case studies to examine the impact of some important 3-D effects on the intercept factor. A significant result of this work is the correction of the approach generally accepted for the specularity mirror errors for non-zero incidence angles. The new correlation has been validated using the FirstOPTIC approach and ray tracing.",

keywords = "Concentrating solar power, Incidence angle modifier, Intercept factor, Optical analysis, Parabolic trough, Three-dimensional effects",

author = "Marco Binotti and Guangdong Zhu and Allison Gray and Giampaolo Manzolini and Paolo Silva",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1016/j.solener.2012.10.025",

language = "American English",

volume = "88",

pages = "88--96",

journal = "Solar Energy",

issn = "0038-092X",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Geometric Analysis of Three-Dimensional Effects of Parabolic Trough Collectors

AU - Binotti, Marco

AU - Zhu, Guangdong

AU - Gray, Allison

AU - Manzolini, Giampaolo

AU - Silva, Paolo

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - An analytical approach, as an extension of one newly developed method - First-principle OPTical Intercept Calculation (FirstOPTIC)-is proposed to evaluate the geometrical impact of three-dimensional (3-D) effects on the optical performance of parabolic trough collectors. The mathematical steps of this analytical approach are presented and implemented numerically as part of the suite of FirstOPTIC code. The new code has been carefully validated against numerical solutions and ray-tracing simulation results. The FirstOPTIC code is then applied to a series of case studies to examine the impact of some important 3-D effects on the intercept factor. A significant result of this work is the correction of the approach generally accepted for the specularity mirror errors for non-zero incidence angles. The new correlation has been validated using the FirstOPTIC approach and ray tracing.

AB - An analytical approach, as an extension of one newly developed method - First-principle OPTical Intercept Calculation (FirstOPTIC)-is proposed to evaluate the geometrical impact of three-dimensional (3-D) effects on the optical performance of parabolic trough collectors. The mathematical steps of this analytical approach are presented and implemented numerically as part of the suite of FirstOPTIC code. The new code has been carefully validated against numerical solutions and ray-tracing simulation results. The FirstOPTIC code is then applied to a series of case studies to examine the impact of some important 3-D effects on the intercept factor. A significant result of this work is the correction of the approach generally accepted for the specularity mirror errors for non-zero incidence angles. The new correlation has been validated using the FirstOPTIC approach and ray tracing.

KW - Concentrating solar power

KW - Incidence angle modifier

KW - Intercept factor

KW - Optical analysis

KW - Parabolic trough

KW - Three-dimensional effects

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U2 - 10.1016/j.solener.2012.10.025

DO - 10.1016/j.solener.2012.10.025

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84871502243

SN - 0038-092X

VL - 88

SP - 88

EP - 96

JO - Solar Energy

JF - Solar Energy

ER -

Geometric Analysis of Three-Dimensional Effects of Parabolic Trough Collectors

Abstract

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

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