Design considerations for a proposed passive vacuum solar annular receiver
One of the collector field subsystems being evaluated at the DOE/Sandia Midtemperature Solar Systems Test Facility (MSSTF) is an East-West (E-W) 90/sup 0/parabolic trough. This subsystem incorporates a receiver, the absorber tube of which is concentric with a larger glass tube. It was the orginal intention that there be a capability for measuring collector performance with and without vacuum in the annulus between the two tubes. Forty-three months (June 1975--December 1978) of testing have revealed problems associated with achieving and maintaining annulus pressures below 1 Pa along with other receiver problems and maintaining annulus pressures below 1 Pa along with other receiver problems (black-chrome degradation) that have reduced the performance of the collector. Analyses included in this report show that a vacuum in the annulus of the receiver assembly can significantly increase the amount of energy collected daily by at least 13% depending upon the reflector trough and tracking capabilities of the collector design. The problems associated with the current receiver are described and a modified passive-vacuum design intended to correct the problems is presented. Test results will determine whether the value of the additional energy collected is greater than the cost of achieving the vacuum.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-04-0789
- OSTI ID:
- 6070563
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-78-0982
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
ANNULAR SPACE
BLACK CHROME
BLACK COATINGS
COATINGS
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
CONFIGURATION
ENERGY LOSSES
EVACUATED COLLECTORS
HEAT LOSSES
LOSSES
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SEALS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
TEST FACILITIES
TESTING