Horizontal Surface
If the Solar Radiation Intensity on the horizontal surface is 600 watts and the Suns
altitude angle is 30o, while a reflector is tilted at an angle of 85o from the horizontal
direction, what will be the combined intensity of the reflected and incident light on the
horizontal surface ?
Thermal Collector Capture and Loss Mechanisms
Energy balance on a solar collector absorber or receiver is;
Quseful = Eopt QLoss (W)
Quseful - Rate of useful energy leaving the absorber (W)
Eopt - Rate of optical (short wavelength) radiation incident on
absorber (W)
QLoss - Rate of thermal energy loss from the absorber (W)
The balance between heat removal and heat loss defines the
operating temperature of the collector
For concentrating collectors, when not enough heat is being
removed, the temperature of the absorber can increase to its
melting temperature
Radiation
Convection
Conduction Loss
Flat-plate Collectors
col = m cp (Tout Tin) / Ig Aa
Where Ig is global Irradiance
Concentrating Collectors
col = m cp (Tout Tin) / Ib cos i Aa
Where Ib is direct beam Irradiance
Concentrating PV Collectors
col = I . V / Ib cos i Aa
Collector Efficiency Models Flat Plate
Collector Efficiency Models Versus Inlet Temp. -
Flat Plate
Collector Efficiency Models Versus Global
Irradiance - Flat Plate
Collector Efficiency Models Parabolic Trough
Collector Efficiency Models PV
Collector Efficiency Models Versus Voltage -PV
Measuring Collector Performance
Collector test standards specify both the experimental setup and
the testing procedure
Sin2 /Cos = 4 f / r
in polar coordinates
with origin at V
p = 2 f / (1 + cos )
with origin at F
Segments of a rim
parabola having
a common focus
F and the same
aperture
diameter
d
A=2dh/3
h = d2 / 16 f
Z = a2 / 4f
In cylindrical coordinates,
where a is the distance
from the z-axis
circular differential area strip on the paraboloid
dAs = 2 a dz2 + da2 (m2)
= 2 a 1 + (a / 2f)2 da (m2)
Parabolic Trough
Circular Mirror
Parallel rays reflected from a
circular mirror pass through a
line drawn through the center
of the circle and parallel to the
incident rays
For practical
applications, if the rim
angle rim of a
cylindrical trough is
kept low (<20-30o),
spherical aberration is
small and a virtual
line focus trough is
achieved
Focusing of parallel rays of light using circular mirrors
with different rim angles
Optical analysis of
parabolic concentrators
Reflection of a light
ray from a
parabolic mirror
dAs = l ds
l = either length of a
differential strip on the ds = p sin(d)/ cos(/2)
surface of a parabolic
trough along the
direction of the focal
line,
or circumference of
the differential ring on
the surface of a
parabolic dish
Total radiant flux reflected from a differential area
to the point of focus:
as l = 2p sin
Specular
Reflectance
of Mirrors
Silver
Back Surface Reflectors
Snells Law
2R/(1 + R)
Air-Glass
Reflectance
Versus
Angle of
Incidence
Transmittance of borosilicate glass with antireflection
coating
Freznel Lens
Concentrator