Characterization Of A Medium Temperature Concentrator For Process Heat - Tracking Error Estimation

摘要

Concentrating solar collectors could be used in industry to meet heating demands. In this study, a solarrnthermal concentrator is investigated. This system was designed and built within a European project,rnDIGESPO, and a prototype has been installed on a pharmaceutical plant for process heat generation in Malta.rnIn this paper, the optical efficiency of this collector was characterized using the input and output measuredrndata obtained during a testing campaign lasting than two months. A thermal analysis was undertaken tornestimate how the solar tracker precision of this collector could influence the solar collector optical efficiency,rnbased on tracker installation error estimation and the transverse incidence angle modifier curve determinedrnby ray-tracing program. The results obtained were a optical efficiency η0 of 30.9% and a maximum optical lost due to incidence angle of 0.5%.