New Optical Evaluation Approach for Parabolic Trough Collectors: First-Principle OPTical Intercept Calculation
Abstract
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.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1050771
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5500-53596
Journal ID: ISSN 0199-6231; JSEEDO; TRN: US201218%%1542
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Solar Energy Engineering
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 134; Journal Issue: 4; Related Information: Article No. 041005; Journal ID: ISSN 0199-6231
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; DESIGN; ERRORS; EVALUATION; PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS; M CODES; MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS; parabolic trough; concentrating solar power; optical performance; optical analysis; intercept factor
Citation Formats
Zhu, Guangdong, and Lewandowski, Allan. New Optical Evaluation Approach for Parabolic Trough Collectors: First-Principle OPTical Intercept Calculation. United States: N. p., 2012.
Web. doi:10.1115/1.4006963.
Zhu, Guangdong, & Lewandowski, Allan. New Optical Evaluation Approach for Parabolic Trough Collectors: First-Principle OPTical Intercept Calculation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4006963
Zhu, Guangdong, and Lewandowski, Allan. 2012.
"New Optical Evaluation Approach for Parabolic Trough Collectors: First-Principle OPTical Intercept Calculation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4006963.
@article{osti_1050771,
title = {New Optical Evaluation Approach for Parabolic Trough Collectors: First-Principle OPTical Intercept Calculation},
author = {Zhu, Guangdong and Lewandowski, Allan},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1115/1.4006963},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1050771},
journal = {Journal of Solar Energy Engineering},
issn = {0199-6231},
number = 4,
volume = 134,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}
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