Solar Thermal Concentrating Technology
Solar Thermal Concentrating Technology ( Solar Thermal Magazine )
At the end of 2011 a team from the UC Merced California Advanced Solar Technologies Institute (UC Solar) studied the impact of various design of solar thermal collectors on their energy efficiency. The report found that:
Thermodynamically efficient optical designs are dramatically improving the performance and cost effectiveness of solar concentrating ( CSP) and illumination systems.
Project Highlight – Solar Thermal Collectors
The UC Merced team their own solar collector named the External Compound Parabolic Concentrator (XCPC)
XCPC features include:
- Non‐tracking design
- 50% thermal efficiency at 200 C
- Installation flexibility
- Performs well in hazy conditions
- Displaces natural gas consumption and reduces emissions
- Targets commercial applications such as double effect
- absorption cooling, boiler preheating, dehydration,
- sterilization, desalination and steam extraction
Testing Criteria included:
- Efficiency (80 to 200 °C)
- Optical Efficiency (Ambient temperature)
- Acceptance Angle
- Time Constant
- Stagnation Test
XCPC Applications Possible Applications include:
- Absorption Chillers
- Desiccant Cooling
- Heat Driven Electrical Power
- Generation
- Steam Cycle Based Products
- Stirling Cycle Based Products
- Heat Driven Water TreatmentTechnology
- Membrane Distillation
- Heat Driven Industrial Process
To read the whole paper click here
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