Analysis of the influence of geography and weather on parabolic trough solar collector design

Technical Report · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5528378· OSTI ID:5528378

Treadwell, G. W.; Grandjean, N. R.; Biggs, F.

The potential performance of single-axis tracking parabolic trough solar collectors as a function of optical energy distribution and receiver size has been calculated for eleven sites using typical meteorological year input data. A simulation based on the SOLTES code was developed which includes the three-dimensional features of a parabolic trough and calculates the thermooptical tradeoffs. The capability of the thermooptical model has been confirmed by the comparison of calculated results with the experimental results from an all-day test of a parabolic trough. The results from this eleven-site analysis indicate a potential performance superiority of a north-south horizontal axis trough and, in addition, a high quality (optical error, sigma/sub system/ less than or equal to 0.007 radian) collector should be of the same geometric design for all of the sites investigated and probably for all regions of the country.

• Research Organization: Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 5528378
• Report Number(s): SAND-79-2032
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
CLIMATES
COMPUTER CODES
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
CONFIGURATION
CSP
Concentrating Solar Power
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
GEOGRAPHY
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS
PERFORMANCE
S CODES
SIMULATION
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR RECEIVERS
SOLAR TRACKING
WEATHER