Solar Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTCs) are currently used for the production of electricity and applications with relatively higher temperatures. A heat transfer fluid circulates through a metal tube (receiver) with an external selective surface that absorbs solar radiation reflected from the...

This paper describes a low cost method for mass-production of parabolic surfaces with fibreglass. Cavities produced with plastic conduits, covered with fibreglass at the back of the collector surface, provide reinforcement in the longitudinal and transverse directions, to increase rigidity. This...

Solar energy is an attractive renewable energy source because the sun's energy is plentiful and carbon-free. However, solar energy is intermittent and not suitable for base load electricity generation without an energy backup system. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is unique among other renewable...

The present work developed a prototype Stirling engine working at the moderate temperature range. This study attempts to demonstrate the potential of the moderate temperature Stirling engine as an option for the prime movers for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology. The heat source...

The deployment of renewable energy power plants is a priority of the Chilean government. A mandatory quota system requires that 5% of the electricity generated in the country must come from renewable energy sources, gradually increasing to 10% by 2024. As of 2010, solar energy has received...

This paper describes gas turbine/solar trough hybrid designs that achieve a solar contribution greater than 50% and increase the solar-to-electric efficiency while reducing gas heat rate. Two conceptual designs are explored: (1) integrating gas turbines with conventional oil heat-transfer-fluid...

Renewable energy sources and especially solar energy may be the answer to the increasing demand for energy, leading to the reduction of fossil fuel consumption and its associated negative environmental impact. An attractive solution to this problem could be the combination of renewable and...

In the paper description and working principles of the parabolic trough power plants, solar tower power plants, parabolic dish power plants and power plants with Fresnel reflectors in the world and their potential use in Serbia are given. In addition, the examples and technical characteristics...

Energetic and exergetic analysis has been carried out for the components of the solar thermal power plant system (parabolic trough collector/receiver and Rankine heat engine). The energetic and exergetic losses as well as efficiencies for typical parabolic trough concentrating solar thermal...

In this paper, Monte Carlo ray-tracing and computational fluid dynamics are used to numerically investigate the minimum entropy generation due to heat transfer and fluid friction in a parabolic trough receiver. The analysis was carried out for rim angles in the range 40°–120°, concentration...