Cost/performance of solar reflective surfaces for parabolic dish concentrators

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5950438

Bouquet, F

Materials for highly reflective surfaces for use in parabolic dish solar concentrators are discussed. Some important factors concerning performance of the mirrors are summarized, and typical costs are treated briefly. Capital investment cost/performance ratios for various materials are computed specifically for the double curvature parabolic concentrators using a mathematical model. The results are given in terms of initial investment cost for reflective surfaces per thermal kilowatt delivered to the receiver cavity for various operating temperatures from 400 to 1400 C. Although second surface glass mirrors are emphasized, first surface, chemically brightened and anodized aluminum surfaces as well as second surface, metallized polymeric films are treated. Conventional glass mirrors have the lowest cost/performance ratios, followed closely by aluminum reflectors. Ranges in the data due to uncertainties in cost and mirror reflectance factors are given.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5950438
• Report Number(s): NASA-CR-164088
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
PARABOLIC DISH COLLECTORS
SOLAR REFLECTORS
COST
PERFORMANCE
FILMS
INVESTMENT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MIRRORS
OPTIMIZATION
SOLAR RECEIVERS
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
EQUIPMENT
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
141000* - Solar Collectors & Concentrators