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New Optical Evaluation Approach for Parabolic Trough Collectors: First-Principle OPTical Intercept Calculation

Journal Article · · Journal of Solar Energy Engineering
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4006963· OSTI ID:1050771
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A new analytical method -- First-principle OPTical Intercept Calculation (FirstOPTIC) -- is presented here for optical evaluation of trough collectors. It employs first-principle optical treatment of collector optical error sources and derives analytical mathematical formulae to calculate the intercept factor of a trough collector. A suite of MATLAB code is developed for FirstOPTIC and validated against theoretical/numerical solutions and ray-tracing results. It is shown that FirstOPTIC can provide fast and accurate calculation of intercept factors of trough collectors. The method makes it possible to carry out fast evaluation of trough collectors for design purposes. The FirstOPTIC techniques and analysis may be naturally extended to other types of CSP technologies such as linear-Fresnel collectors and central-receiver towers.
Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1050771
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5500-53596
Journal Information:
Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Journal Name: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 134; ISSN JSEEDO; ISSN 0199-6231
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
DESIGN
ERRORS
EVALUATION
M CODES
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS
concentrating solar power
intercept factor
optical analysis
optical performance
parabolic trough