Heat transfer analysis and numerical simulation of a parabolic trough solar collector with non-uniform solar conditions

Abstract

Thermal power generation is widely used in both domestic and industrial production, and one of the more environmentally friendly and widely used is solar power. This paper focuses on the feasibility of a new type of solar collector consisting of a parabolic reflector, an absorber tube and a heat transfer fluid that converts solar energy into thermal energy for subsequent use. The system can effectively concentrate the heat and therefore achieve higher efficiency compared to conventional solar generators, it can also operate at relatively high temperatures (150°C to 400°C), which is a significant advantage over the range of conventional solar collectors (100°C-150°C). Considering the effect of sunlight distribution and subsequent thermal conductivity, simulations using simulation software such as Soltrace and Ansys were carried out in this paper, which helped to verify the model feasibility. The results show that the sunlight has a heat peak at about 52° of the absorber tube shell, while the absorbed sunlight is significantly reduced within 50° due to the blocking of the absorber tube. Overall, the parabolic trough solar collector is a kind of solar energy collection device with a wide range of application sites and high heat collection efficiency.