Study of Solar parabolic concentrator

I. Littérature Review

I.1. Sunlight

To begin with sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation delivered by the sun, in

particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light (view figure). On Earth, sunlight is filtered

through Earth’s atmosphere. Deeply Radiation is the heat transfer by the emission of

electromagnetic waves which carry energy away from the emitting object, whereas

Irradiation or solar flux density is a measure of how much solar power you are getting at your

location. This irradiance varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and days

according to sun location. The solar energy moves through empty space from the Sun to the

Earth and is the original energy source for Earth’s weather and climate. Due to spherical

shape of the Earth incoming solar radiation is not equally distributed over the planet.

Different parts of Earth's surface receive different amounts of sunlight (Figure below).

The Sun's rays strike Earth's surface most directly (normally) at the Equator, where solar flux

is highly concentrated compared at any other location from the Earth. This focuses the rays

on a small area. Near the poles, the solar flux is very low because Sun’s rays strike obliquely.

Fig-2: Sun radiations in different regions (wikipedia.org/wiki/ )

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1.2. Solar flux density

Solar flux density (irradiation), or concentrated sunlight, is a measure of how much light

energy is being radiated in a given area, in other word the amount of solar energy per unit

area on a sphere centered at the Sun with a distance d.

Sd = L / (4 π d^2) W/m2

Fig-3: Solar Radiation in Djibouti (Global Solar Atlas)

As it’s shown above, our country has a high average of solar irradiation and it’s about 2165

KWH/m^2 which leads to the possibility to install solar concentrators that have higher

efficiencies to produce electricity and to utilize other applications such as desalination of sea

water.
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1. Earth-Sun Geometry

2.1. Revolution of the Earth

The Earth takes 365 and 1/4 days to complete one revolution around the sun and this amount

of time is called a “year.”, its path changes, the Earth’s orbit is nearly circular (or slightly

elliptical). During one revolution around the Sun, the Earth travels at an average distance of

about 150 million kilometers .In addition, Earth revolves around the Sun at an average speed

of about 27 kilometers (17 miles) per second

2.2. Earth Titled Axis

This is what is known axial tilt, where a planet’s vertical axis is tilted a certain degree

towards the ecliptic of the object it orbits (in this case, the Sun). Such a tilt results in there

being a difference in how much sunlight reaches a given point on the surface during the

course of a year. For instance, Earth’s axis points in a constant direction as Earth orbits the

Sun, tilted 23˚ from its orbit. [1]

This tilt in Earth’s axis is what is responsible for seasonal changes during the course of the

year. When the North Pole is pointed towards the Sun, the northern hemisphere experiences

summer and the southern hemisphere experiences winter. When the South Pole is pointed

towards the Sun, six months later, the situation is reversed.

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Fig-4: Earth tilt Axis

2.3. Sun Position

The azimuth angle, the elevation angle and declination angle are the three keys angles which

are used to orient all kind of solar energy

2.4. Declination Angle The

declination angle, denoted by δ which is with the right ascension one of the coordinates used

in equatorial coordinate change each seasons (winter, summer..etc) as a consequence of the

angle that the earth make itself(tilt of the earth) and the spinning around the sun. The

declination of the sun widely defined as the angle between equator and a line drawn from

center of the earth to the center of the sun. In contrast, the declination would always be 0° if
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the Earth were not tilted on its axis of rotation the Earth were not tilted on its axis of rotation

However, the Earth is tilted by 23.45° [4]

2.5. Azimuth angle

The azimuth angle is the angle in the horizontal plane between the direction of an object and

a Reference direction and also defines as the compass direction, from which the sunlight is

coming, it varies throughout the day. The sun rises directly east and sets directly west

regardless of the latitude, thus making the azimuth angles 90° at sunrise and 270° at

sunset.the advantage is that when it passes through the meridian, the azimuth of a star is zero.

[ https://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/properties-of-sunlight/azimuth-angle]

Fig-5: Geometry of Azimuth Angle

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2.6. Elevation angle

The elevation angle (used interchangeably with altitude angle) is the angle between the

horizontal plane and the line of sight, measured in the vertical. Confusingly, both altitude and

elevation are also used to describe the height in meters above sea level. The elevation is 0° at

sunrise and 90° when the sun is directly overhead (which occurs for example at the equator

on the spring). The angular height of the sun in the sky measured from the horizontal. [2]

Fig-5:Geometry of Elevation Angle

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2. Historic of solar concentrator

With the beginning, a solar concentrator is a device that concentrates sunlight to utilize and

control heat energy. It is considered as one of two methods existing of the use of

nonrenewable and polluting fossil fuels by humanity to fight climate changes and to satisfy

the increase of energy needs. Therefore, its main function differs from the photovoltaic solar

panels which convert the sun light directly into electricity photovoltaic effect. Back to the

history, the use of solar concentrator is not new, it backs to the time of Ancient Greeks and

Romans. For the first time, Archimedes used a large array of bronze shields arranged around

a bay in the sea to reflect and concentrate the sun’s rays on the invading Roman fleet and

repel them from Syracuse in the 2nd century B.C .At that time, he was not conscious that he

initiated a new concept that will change the life of the future generations as he was just using

it to protect Syracuse.

Then in 1886, the Italian Allessandro Battaglia had come up with a brilliant idea of using the

solar concentrator. He wrote that to collect the solar rays that strike a specific portion of the
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Earth’s surface at any latitude and to reflect them, concentrated in a specially shaped beam

onto a specific surface of limited size in order to obtain a high temperature and a quantity of

calories capable of causing a specific effect at a cost relatively small for the size of the

reflecting surface. The surfaces that receive and reflect the solar rays are metallic: silver

coated and burnished. The reflection must be continuous so that it must be aimed at the same

point every day of the year, from sunrise to sunset[Minister of Agriculture

Industria,1886].After, Alessandro Battaglia, the solar concentrator was developed during time

by many inventors such as John Ericson and Frank Shuman in different ways that led to

different shapes and types of solar concentrator due to the enhancement in technology

.Therefore, solar concentrators can be cylindrical, spherical or parabolic .Receivers should be

convex, flat, cylindrical, covered or uncovered .The main thing to be careful at is to always

get a minimized heat loss associated with the solar collection .The solar concentrator can be

found in solar thermal power stations in the world nowadays as its considerate as the most

effective way of producing electricity through solar energy, because it has a higher efficiency

than the PV panels .Then, it uses a large array of solar concentrators and mirrors to redirect

and concentrate the suns energy onto a focal point.

II. Research methods

1. Different type of Solar concentrator

Before introducing the types of solar concentrators it is crucial to define the principle

operation of a solar collector. Solar concentrators are devices that work on the basic principle

of focusing the sun. They utilize optical devices which absorb a large area of sunlight, and

function on the idea of focusing a bundle of sunlight on a small area (focal point) with the

assistance of reflectors such as (mirror, aluminum). In order to ensure that the solar
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concentrator works efficiently, they have to be placed in such a manner that it directly faces

the sun.

1.1. Parabolic Dish concentrator

A parabolic dish collector is a concentrating solar concentrator that is comparative in

appearance to parabolic of satellite reception. When the sunlight reaches or hits the

collector, it will be reflected in the direction of the focus at the same angle as the

incident. The receiver is therefore placed in the focal point of the dish where the

temperature is high. The use of certain coatings will give a high reflectivity more the

reflectivity is higher and more solar concentrators will be powerful because radiations

will be mostly reflected at the focal point.

1.2. Heliostat field

The central tower or the field of plane heliostats are composed of a set of plane mirrors

(called heliostats) and a tower located in the center. Each individual mirror follows the sun to

focus the light on a receiver placed at the top of the central tower which is also the focal point

of the system. The fluid inside the receiver is heated to temperatures above 500 ° C. Central

towers are less used compared to parabolic trough and parabolic dish systems but they offer

better performance and better storage capacity Energy.

1.3. Parabolic Solar Concentrator

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Parabolic-trough solar concentrator are parabolic-shaped collectors, made of reflecting

materials like mirror and aluminum and cylindrical at the surface The collectors reflect

the incident solar radiation onto its focal line toward a receiver that absorbs the concentrated

solar energy to raise the temperature of the fluid inside it as shown in Figure. Usually

receiver of a parabolic trough collectors are linear tubes (linear focal) positioned just above

the middle of the parabolic mirror which used to heat fluids that circulates in the tube or to

produce steam for the purpose to produce electricity (Steam Power Plant).

In this project we are going to study the Parabolic Trough Concentrator (PTC) because the

most efficient shape for a solar collector is the parabolic shape since it can focus the suns

energy in a particular line or Point.  By concentrating the sun’s energy onto a focal line, less

collection surface area is required and that makes lower costs. 

Reflectivity
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Reflectivity is an optical property of material, which describes how much light is reflected

from the material in relation to an amount of light incident on the material .In our Case , the

reflectivity properties have an important role because reflectors reflect the sun radiation into

the focal line .For this purpose , Reflectivity depends on the wavelength of light, heading of

the occurrence and reflected light, polarization of light, sort of the fabric (metal, plastic, etc.),

chemical composition and structure of the fabric, and state of the fabric and its surface.

Fig-11: Classification of the reflectance Materials

There are numerous reflector materials but in this extend the foremost critical reflector will be

examined such as Mirror, aluminum, copper, gold, silver…etc. Their reflectance are different.

Silver is the foremost reflective but too expensive. All those materials are great reflectors but
 Study of Solar parabolic concentrator

it depends on wavelength which is taken in thought. As long as mirror coated on its back

surface with silver, which produces images by reflection. Thus we will use Mirror as the

principal reflectors materials because of his high reflectivity.

Fig-12; the reflection of the mirror

1.1. Receiver

In other words we are going to emphasize the receivers .The receiver of parabolic trough is

placed at the line focus of a trough so as to capture the solar radiation and transfer the same to

the thermal medium used in the system.

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Fig-13: Receiver of the Parabolic Trough

1.2. Absorber

When the sunlight strike to the collectors consisting mirror directly it reflect to the receiver.

In order to absorb high efficiency of the sun’s rays, we will classified the material with their

absorbance.

Fig-14: Emissivity (absorbance) of a copper surface without and with commercial mate black paint.

For instance the Copper Cu for solar collector applications were optically analyzed in order to

determine the emissivity (absorbance) value. Copper surfaces requires to be covered with

some kind of black paint in order to increase its absorbance.

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III. Theoretical study of thermal energy solar parabolic

concentrator

1. Equation
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The standard equation of a parabola is:

Y=a X 2 +bX+c

Where a,b and c are constants

The simple form of the equation is:

y2 = 4fx

The parabola is a plane curve which each point is located equidistant from a fixed point (F),

the focal point, and a fixed line (D), the director. So from the figure 14 it is obtain:

RF = RM = r (4)

In addition it is found:

2f = r + b

Where

b = r cos (ϕ)

So:

2f = r + r cos (ϕ)

= r (1 + cos

(ϕ))

From this demonstration, radius (r) will be:

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2f
r= (5)
(1+ cos ( ∅ ) )

After that by taking a point N and using the equation of the parabola (3), the height

(denoted h) of parabola could be determined by:

(6)

The Opening angle of the parabola also called the rim angle ϕ is the angle between the radius

of the parabola and the vertical axis.

D/2
tan ( θ )= [1]
h−f

In this figure:

θ=180−∅ max [2]

After using trigonometric property the Opening angle ϕ is defined as:

f
D
∅=tan −1 ( )
f 2
2∗
D ( )
−0.125
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Parabola’s curve length:

After determining the geometrical equation of the parabola, they are used in order to

formulate the power received (denoted P) by the collector of the solar parabolic concentrator.

The power received is:

P = Is.dAp

Where

dAp = dl.ds

ds = rdϕ

dAp = r. dϕ.dl

Consequently:

dAp= 2 ¿f ¿. L

then the power will be:

∅ max
2 f . L . Is
P= ∫ ¿¿ ¿
0
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The value of the power can be found by simulating in matlab (software).So by using the

power, the final temperature (Tf) is found in focal point of the collector. The power is also

equal to :

Q
P=
t

mc(T f −T i)
P=
t

Where

∗ m: mass of probe

∗ C: specific heat of probe

∗ Tf: the final temperature in the focal point

∗ Ti = Temperature of environment

∗ t: time that probe is in the focal point the final temperature will be:

P.t
Tf= +T i
mc
Study of Solar parabolic concentrator