Solar ray tracing analysis to determine energy availability in a CPC designed for use as a residentialwater heater
Compound parabolic concentrators are relevant systems used in solar thermal technology. With adequate tailoring, they can be used as an efficient and low-cost alternative in residential water heating applications. This work presents a simulation study using a ray tracing analysis. With this technique, we simulate the interaction between solar rays and solar concentrator to quantify the amount of energy that impinges on the receiver at a particular time. Energy availability is evaluated in a comparison of two configurations throughout the year: static setup at 21° and multi-position setup; tilted with respect to the horizontal, depending on three seasonal positions: 0° for summer, 16° for spring/autumn, and 32° for winter, with the aim to evaluate the amount of available energy in each season. The fact that a tracking system can be dispensed with also represents an economical option for the proposed application. The results showed that at 21°, the proposed solar Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) works satisfactorily; however, by carrying out the selected angular adjustments, the overall energy availability increased by 22%, resulting in a more efficient option. The most effective design was also built and analyzed outdoors. The obtained thermal efficiency was of ~43%. The optical design and its evaluation developed herein proved to be a valuable tool for prototype design and performance evaluation.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | info:eu-repo/semantics/article biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/RAY TRACING ANALYSIS, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/COMPOUND PARABOLIC CONCENTRATOR, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/SOLAR WATER HEATING, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/PHOTONICS, info:eu-repo/classification/Autores/OPTICS, info:eu-repo/classification/cti/7, |
| Online Access: | http://cicy.repositorioinstitucional.mx/jspui/handle/1003/1554 |
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