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Basic Introduction of Solar Collectors and Energy and Exergy Analysis of A Heliostat Plant
Basic Introduction of Solar Collectors and Energy and Exergy Analysis of A Heliostat Plant
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Basic introduction of solar collectors and energy and exergy analysis of a heliostat plant
Soroush Dabiri1, Mohammad Fazel Rahimi2
1
M.Sc. of energy systems, University of Tehran; soroosh.dabiri@ut.ac.ir
2
B.Sc. of mechanical engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology; mfr999@yahoo.com
Introduction
In this regard solar collectors are categorized into two Figure 1: An example of flat plate collector (FPC)
main types: a) stationary collectors and b) sun tracking
collectors, in the following of the introduction of the As this collector is fixed in its position and don’t track
collectors, these main types would be declared clearly. the sun it must be facing south in the northern hemisphere
Stationary collectors are fixed in their position and do and north in the southern. The optimum tilt angle of the
not track the sun. Three types of collectors are explained collector is depended on the latitude of the location with
in this category: angle variations of 10–15 degrees [1]. Different
Flat plate collector (FPC) prototypes of transparently insulated Flat-Plate Collector
Stationary compound parabolic collector (CPC) have been built and tested in the last decade. Low cost
Evacuated tube collector (ETC) and high temperature resistant transparent insulating (TI)
materials have been developed so that the
Sun tracking collectors as the name of these types, commercialization of these collectors becomes feasible.
trace the sun during the day to collect more energy
compared to stationary type. In this article four main Compound parabolic collectors
types of sun tracking collectors would be described. Compound parabolic collectors are designed by Winston
Parabolic through collector [2]. These kind of collectors have the ability to absorb
Linear Fresnel reflector virtually all the light emitted to the mouth of them. These
Parabolic dish reflector collectors are able to accept a large proportion of diffuse
Heliostat field collector radiation incident on their apertures and concentrate it
without tracking the sun [3]. Schematic diagram of the
A review over solar collectors collectors are illustrated in Figure 2.
Flat-plate collectors: These collector similar to flat-plate collectors should
The performance of a flat-plate collector is not so be fixed in a specific angle called acceptance angle based
complicated, it is just based on radiation passing a on its position, although some kinds of compound
transparent layer and then set on an absorber layer that parabolic collector can track the sun light. For stationary
absorbs the sun energy as heat energy. The absorbed heat CPC collectors mounted in this mode the minimum
is then transferred to a kind of medium fluid that could acceptance angle is equal to 47 degrees. This angle
be water, water plus antifreeze additive, or air in the tubes covers the declination of the sun from summer to winter
to increase its temperature for direct thermal use. The solstices. However for designing a compound parabolic
1
collector there are so many theoretical and numerical Parabolic through collectors
calculations and analysis [4]. Parabolic through can effectively produce heat up to
temperatures about 400 C. this collector is contained of a
parabolic mirror and a metal black tube covered with a
glass tube to reduce heat losses. This tube is extended
along the focal line of the mirror. Figure 4 is showing this
kind of solar collector.
When these tubes are mounted, the metal tips up, into Figure 5: A photo of Shiraz parabolic plant in Iran
a heat exchanger (manifold) as shown in Figure 3. Water,
For tracking the sun there are two major systems. The
or glycol, flows through the manifold and picks up the
first one is based on motors controlled electronically
heat from the tubes. The heated liquid circulates through
through sensors, which detect the magnitude of the solar
another heat exchanger and gives off its heat to a process
illumination and the second one is based on computer
or to water that is stored in a solar storage tank [5].
Which 𝑋̇ is the total exergy inserted into the heliostat Emissive heat loss:
field by sun, resulted from the Equation (3). There is emissive heat loss between receiver mouth and
𝑇 receiver surface which is calculated based on Equation
𝑋̇ = 𝑄̇ ∗ (1 − 0∗) (3)
𝑇 (10).
∗ 4
While 𝑇 is the equal sun temperature about 4500 K 𝑄𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠,𝑒𝑚 = 𝜀𝑒𝑞 ∗ 𝜎 ∗ (𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑐,𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓 − 𝑇04 ) ∗ 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑐,𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓 ∗ 𝐹𝑟
(10)
The second step shows the thermal calculations of energy
and exergy inside of the receiver. Respectively, the 𝜀𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙 (11)
𝜀𝑒𝑞 =
energy and exergy delivered to the receiver is shown by 𝜀𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙 − (1 − 𝜀𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙 ) ∗ 𝐹𝑟
Q̇ and Ẋ in the Equations (4) and (5).
In the Equation (14) the Reynolds number (𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑖𝑟,𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖 ) and Inside the various parts of the power cycle the overall
Prantdl number (𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑟,𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖 ) are concluded of energy and exergy equations would be, respectively:
thermodynamic formulas, based on reference 𝑄̇𝑠𝑡,𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑊̇𝑛𝑒𝑡 + 𝑄̇𝑝𝑠,𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 (21)
temperature (𝑇𝑎𝑖𝑟,𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖 ) which is equal to 𝑇𝑎𝑖𝑟,𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖 =
𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑐,𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓 +𝑇0 𝑋̇𝑠𝑡,𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑊̇𝑛𝑒𝑡 + 𝑋̇𝑝𝑠,𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 + 𝑋̇𝑝𝑠,𝑑𝑒𝑠 (22)
and the reference length is the height of the
2
receiver aperture as shown in the Figure 10.
In the Equations (21) and (22) Q̇ st,abs and Ẋ st,abs are the
Natural connective heat loss: energy and exergy absorbed by the medium water for
The natural convection cavity was quite similar to the flat power generation, respectively. Also Q̇ ps,loss and Ẋ ps,loss
plate. The natural convective heat loss and natural are the total energy loss and exergy loss during the
convective heat transfer coefficient were given by transfer of heat inside the integrated power cycle and
Equations (15) and (16), respectively: Ẋ ps,des is the total exergy destruction in different steps of
𝑄𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠,𝑛𝑡,𝑐𝑛𝑣 = ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟,𝑛𝑡 ∗ (𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑐,𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓 − 𝑇0 ) ∗ 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑐,𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓 (15) the cycle, which is calculated based on entropy
generation in all components of the cycle.
ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟,𝑛𝑡 = 0.81 ∗ (𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑐,𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓 − 𝑇0 )0.426 (16)
Results and Discussion
According to the last part of the article, in the different
Total heat loss
components of the plants the most controllable parts
As written in assumptions the conductive heat loss is
would be described below:
negligible; therefore the total heat loss is equal to:
The first step is the heliostat field and the results of a
𝑄̇𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠,𝑡𝑜𝑡 = 𝑄̇𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠,𝑒𝑚 + 𝑄̇𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠,𝑟𝑒𝑓 + 𝑄̇𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠,𝑓𝑐,𝑐𝑛𝑣 + 𝑄̇𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠,𝑛𝑐,𝑐𝑛𝑣
study shows that increase in heliostat field area and solar
(17)
flux concludes higher power generation. The energy and
Steam generator and power cycle: exergy efficiencies of the overall system are also found
The third section occurs in the steam generator which is to be increasing with increase in heliostat field area and
a kind of heat exchanger. Rankine cycle is assumed that solar flux [12]. However there are some studies for cost
is utilized for the power generation [19], [20]. The reduction of heliostat field which try to gain the optimum
Equations (18) and (19) are used for calculating the area for different designs [21].
energy and exergy balance of the steam-generator: The second step occurs in the receiver which in this
regard a cavity receiver with molten salt medium was
probed. When the mouth area increased, the receiver