Calculation of the Concentrated Flux Density

Distribution in Parabolic Trough Solar Concentrators

by Monte Carlo Ray-Trace Method

Bin Yang, Jun Zhao, Tao Xu, Qiang Zhu

School of Mechanical Engineering
Tianjin University
Tianjin, China
yangbin0720@126.com

Abstract—In this paper, the optical concentration ratio for the
parabolic trough solar concentrators (PTSCs), which is a key
boundary condition in the heat transfer performance analysis,
would be simulated and computed by Monte Carlo Ray-Trace
(MCRT) method in different conditions. In the computation
process, non-parallelism of solar rays, geometric concentrating
ratio and rim angle would be considered. Based on the probability
model derived from the solar cone, the distribution of local
concentration ratio was obtained. At the same time, defocusing
phenomenon and effect of tracking error for the PTSCs would be
analyzed and discussed. The results, referring to evaluating the
optical performance of PTSCs, present a reference for design and
assemblage of the high-performance PTSCs. The ultimate goal is
to make PTSCs more cost effective.
Keywords-parabolic trough solar concentrators; defocusing;
monte carlo; ray tracking; optical concentration ratio
I. INTRODUCTION
Climate change and CO2 emission trends have called great
attention worldwide and become a key issue at the World
Climate Conference of 2009 at Copenhagen. Pressed by
increasing energy demand and growing environmental
degradation, governments must change current coal-dominated
electricity structure and make effective use of renewable
energy sources. Therefore, the utilization of solar energy as an
alternative of fossil fuels should be increasingly concerned.
Compared with numerous techniques for the solar energy
utilization, parabolic trough solar concentrators (PTSCs) are
coming into wider use for middle temperature applications
such as the provision of solar thermal power and solar cooling
[1]. In particular, parabolic trough solar thermal power
(PTSTP) technology is the most proven and lowest cost
large-scale solar power technology available today, primarily
because of the nine large commercial-scale solar power plants
that are operating in the California Mojave Desert. However,
the cost of power from PTSTP plants is more expensive than
power from conventional fossil fuel power plants, which will
prohibit the development of large commercial-scale PTSTP
plants all over the world. Thus, reducing cost and improving
efficiency would be exceedingly necessary for tapping
potential market for PTSTP technology. It is widely accepted
that PTSCs are core components and can strongly affect the
realization of high efficiencies in the PTSTP plants. So, a
thorough knowledge of the diverse effects on the optical
performance for the PTSCs is urgently needed so that high
performance PTSCs can be obtained [2]. In general, optical
performance of the PTSCs encompasses at least three effects,
such as “the distribution of the concentrated radiant flux on the
absorber surface”, “optical efficiency”, and “interceptance”
[3]. As early as in 1977, analytical modeling of parabolic
trough concentrator was established by Evans [4]. Soon after, a
first integral of the concentrated radiant flux density for trough
concentrators was derived by Sheldon M.Jeter [1]. Recently,
many scholars have done a lot of researches about optical
performance of the PTSCs. The direct influences on flux
distribution of main errors were analyzed and Monte Carlo
Ray-Trace (MCRT) method was adopted by Y Lin in 2006 [5].
And what’s more, the heat flux distribution for parabolic
trough collector with round receiver was simulated by Jie Xiao
and Yalin He, and MCRT method was also employed in 2009
[6]. However, defocusing phenomenon and tracking error for
the PTSCs could not be considered. With the rapid
development of experimental method and equipment,
experimental verification and measurement about the optical
efficiency of PTSCs, including slope error and the reflectivity
of the mirrors etc, were done by Björn Schiricke and Steffen
Ulmer in 2009 [2][7]. In this paper, the optical concentration
ratio for the PTSCs, which is a key boundary condition in the
heat transfer performance analysis, would be simulated and
computed by MCRT method in different conditions. In the
computation process mentioned above, non-parallelism of
solar rays, geometric concentrating ratio and rim angle would
be considered. At the same time, defocusing phenomenon and
effect of tracking error for the PTSCs would be analyzed and
discussed.
II. DISTRIBUTION OF THE OPTICAL
CONCENTRATION RATIO ON THE ABSORBER
SURFACE OF PTSCS
The distribution of the concentrated radiant flux on the
absorber surface of PTSCs is extremely important for the
improvement in the optical performance of PTSCs and detailed
heat transfer calculations. The schematic diagram of the
PTSCs is shown in Fig1. In fact, it is depicted in the form of

978-1-4244-4964-4/10/$25.00 ©2010 IEEE

the optical concentration ratio (Cf(φ)), which depends on the
position angle φ of absorber surface, instead of the
concentrated radiant flux on the absorber surface of PTSCs. Of
course, to obtain the flux distribution at a given position of
absorber surface, it is necessary to multiply Cf(φ) by the value
of the incident irradiance.
coordinate system of the PTSCs is shown in Fig3. As can be
seen from Fig3, P is the incidence ray vector, S is the
reflection ray vector, N is the normal vector, and tracking error
is α [9].

Figure 3. Physical model and coordinate system of the PTSCs

Figure 1. The schematic diagram of the PTSCs Suppose that the brightness of the sun in all directions is
identical and diffuse reflection is not considered, incidence ray
Generally speaking, Cf(φ) is equivalent to the local vector is described by radial angle θ and tangential angle ψ.
concentration ratio LCR on certain φ of absorber surface. And The schematic diagram of incidence ray vector is shown in
Cf(φ) is close relation to geometric concentrating ratio Gc and Fig4.
rim angle ψrim. To calculate the distribution of Cf(φ) on the
absorber surface of PTSCs, usual approaches are convolution
methods and MCRT methods [8]. Compared with convolution
methods, MCRT methods are more flexible and are able to
model non-ideal optics. This is to say, MCRT methods would
be accessible and useful to any interested engineer. Thus,
Monte Carlo method is implemented here to provide ray
vectors onto the receiver aperture and Cf(φ) is described
statistically after calculation. Precision and calculating time
increases with the number of rays and the complexity of
geometry. The probability model of MCRT incorporates the
probability model of incidence ray vectors and reflection ray Figure 4. The schematic diagram of the incidence ray vector
vectors. The schematic diagram of incidence ray vectors and
reflection ray vectors are shown in Fig2. As can be seen from The probability models of radial angle θ and tangential
Fig2, the position angle φ of absorber surface is defined and angle ψ are respectively derived. Results are as follows.
rim angle ψrim is described.

θ = tan −1 ( ε1 tan θ max ) (1)

ψ = 2πε 2 (2)

Where, ε1 and ε2 are random numbers between 0 and 1.

Incidence ray vector P at coordinate system O1X1Y1Z1 is
described.

P = ( sin θ cosψ , − cos θ ,sin θ sinψ ) (3)

Figure 2. The schematic diagram of the incidence ray vectors and
reflection ray vectors
When tracking error α is considered, the incidence ray vector P
at coordinate system OXYZ is obtained.
A. The Probability Model of Incidence Ray Vectors and
Reflection Ray Vectors
⎡ ⎤
The system coordinate system OXYZ is built which origin
is the peak of the PTSCs. Considering the non-parallelism of ⎡ cos α − sin α 0 ⎤⎥ ⎢ ⎝
(
⎢ sin ⎛⎜ tan −1 ε tan θ
1 ) ⎞
(
max ⎟⎠ cos 2πε 2 )⎥⎥
⎢ ⎢ ⎥
solar rays, incidence ray vectors are regarded as the light cone.
When tracking error is considered, a coordinate system
P= ⎢ sin α
⎢
⎢ 0
cos α 0 ⎥⎥ ⎢
⎢
⎢ ⎝
(
− cos⎛⎜ tan −1 ε1 tan θmax ⎞⎟
⎠
) ⎥
⎥
⎥
(4)
⎣ 0 1 ⎥⎦ ⎢ ⎥
O1X1Y1Z1 treated as coordinate system of the incidence ray
vectors, is built which origin is Point O1. Physical model and ⎢⎣ ⎝
(
⎢ sin ⎛⎜ tan −1 ε tan θ
1 ) ( ⎞
max ⎟⎠ sin 2πε 2 ) ⎥
⎥⎦
According to Fresnel law, the reflection ray vector S is
expressed.
S = P − 2( N ⋅ P) N (5)
The flowchart of simulation is shown in Fig5. On the basis of
the MCRT method, MATLAB software is adopted.
Figure 5. The flowchart of simulation
B. Analysis and Verification of the Typical Calculated
Results
According to the flowchart, the probability model of
MCRT is solved under different conditions. The typical
calculated results are compared with the conclusions of
predecessors in order to validate the model and method
established above. When Gc is 18.33, ψrim is 75° and 90°,
tracking error is not considered, angle of incidence σ is 0,
surface reflectance ρr is 1, glazing transmittance τ is 1,
absorptance of receiver surface αr is 1, LCR for an ideal
parabolic trough solar concentrator (PTSC) with round
receiver will be respectively shown in Fig6 and Fig7. As can
be seen from Fig6, the calculated results of MCRT are
consistent with ones of S.M.Jeter when solar rays are regarded
as parallel rays.
Figure 6. The LCR for an ideal PTSC with round receiver, Gc=18.33, and
ψrim=75° for a point source
As can be seen from Fig7, the calculated results of MCRT
in this paper are in agreement with ones of Jie Xiao when
non-parallelism of solar rays is considered. Although the
calculated results in this paper are not fully consistent with the
results of S.M.Jeter, the changing trends of the curves are
extremely similar.
From the analysis above, the probability model of MCRT
established in this paper is reasonable and correct. It is
promising option for evaluating the optical performance of
PTSCs.
Figure 7. The LCR for an ideal PTSC with round receiver, Gc=18.33, and
ψrim=90° for a uniform sunshape
Fig8 shows a graph depicting the distribution of LCR for
an ideal parabolic trough collector with different ψrim and
sunshape. As can be seen from Fig8, compared with the point
source, the peak value of LCR considering the sunshape is
small. When the non-parallelism of solar rays are considered,
distribution of LCR can be divided into four regions with the
change of position angle φ on the absorber surface, such as the
shelter region, incremental region, attenuation region and
direct insolation region. According to the distribution of LCR,
concentrated radiant flux on the absorber surface of PTSCs can
be easily computed.
Figure 8. The LCR for an ideal PTSC with round receiver, Gc=18.33 for a
uniform sunshape and a point source
C. The Distribution of Optical Concentration Ratio on the
Absorber Surface Considering Tracking Error
The distribution of LCR on the absorber surface
considering tracking error is shown in Fig9 and Fig10. As can
be seen from Fig9, focusing region shrinks and the number of
the peak of LCR decreases from two to one with bigger
tracking error α when solar rays are regarded as parallel rays.
Furthermore, the peak value of LCR gradually becomes large
with increasing tracking error α from 0° to 0.8°. Subsequently,
the maximum value of LCR sharply decreases with increasing
α from 0.8° to 1.6°. This is to say, defocusing phenomenon
induced by tracking error strongly affects the optical
performance of PTSCs [10].
Figure 9. Distribution of the LCR for an ideal PTSC with round receiver,
Gc=18.33, and ψrim=90° for a point source considering tracking error
Fig10 shows a graph depicting the distribution of LCR on
the absorber surface when tracking error and non-parallelism
of solar rays are considered. Compared with the point source,
the changing trend for the distribution of LCR on the absorber
surface is almost similar. However, the peak value of LCR
becomes obviously small. And what’s more, the shelter region
decreases gradually and seems to become more and more
unconspicuous with bigger tracking error.
Figure 10. Distribution of the LCR for an ideal PTSC with round receiver,
Gc=18.33, and ψrim=90° for a uniform sunshape considering tracking error
III. CONCLUSION
The probability model of MCRT is established and solved
in this paper. And the typical calculated results are validated.
When considering the non-parallelism of solar rays, rim angle,
tracking error, geometric concentrating ratio, the distribution
of LCR for an ideal parabolic trough solar concentrator is
obtained. The results, referring to evaluating the optical
performance of PTSCs, present a reference for design and
assemblage of the high-performance PTSCs. In the long term,
it will pave the way for the construction of large
commercial-scale PTSTP plants in China.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work has been supported by National Major Project of
Scientific and Technical Supporting Programs of China during
the 11th Five-year Plan Period (Grant No. 2006BAJ03A06)
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