Performance assessment of parabolic dish and parabolic trough solar thermal power plant using nanofluids and molten salts

Abstract

SUMMARYThe present study has been conducted using nanofluids and molten salts for energy and exergy analyses of two types of solar collectors incorporated with the steam power plant. Parabolic dish (PD) and parabolic trough (PT) solar collectors are used to harness solar energy using four different solar absorption fluids. The absorption fluids used are aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) and ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 )-based nanofluids and LiCl-RbCl and NaNO 3 -KNO 3 molten salts. Parametric study is carried out to observe the effects of solar irradiation and ambient temperature on the parameters such as outlet temperature of the solar collector, heat rate produced, net power produced, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency of the solar thermal power plant. The results obtained show that the outlet temperature of PD solar collector is higher in comparison to PT solar collector under identical operating conditions. The outlet temperature of PD and PT solar collectors is noticed to increase from 480.9 to 689.7 K and 468.9 to 624.7 K, respectively, with an increase in solar irradiation from\ 400 to 1000 W/m 2 . The overall exergy efficiency of PD-driven and PT-driven solar thermal power plant varies between 20.33 to 23.25% and 19.29 to 23.09%, respectively, with rise in ambient temperature from 275 to 320 K. It is observed that the nanofluids have higher energetic and exergetic efficiencies in comparison to molten salts for the both operating parameters. The overall performance of PD solar collector is observed to be higher upon using nanofluids as the solar absorbers.

Experimental investigation and parametric analysis of a solar thermal dish collector with spiral absorber

“…Selection of the most suitable collector type is dictated by the inlet temperature, and the findings in the literature are: (a) at applications of up to 100 o C, flat plate collectors are used [11]; (b) between 100 o C and 200 o C, evacuated collectors and collectors with low concentration ratios are used (<5) [12]; and (c) above 200 o C, parabolic trough collectors are used [13]. Abid et al [14] compared a solar dish collector with a parabolic trough collector and showed that the dish technology performs better energetically and exergetically. The main reason for this result is that higher concentration ratios are associated with lower thermal losses and higher thermal efficiency.…”

Peristaltic pumping of magnetic nanofluids with thermal radiation and temperature-dependent viscosity effects: Modelling a solar magneto-biomimetic nanopump

“…Cingarapu et al [17] (on tin-based nanofluids for solar pumping designs), Ravindran [18] (on nano-fuels for rocket propulsion and solar power), Abid et al [19] (on salt-based ionic nanofluids for parabolic collectors) and Alashkar and Gadalla [20] (focused on gold and zinc oxide nanofluids for solar power pumps). All these studies confirmed the considerable elevation in thermal efficiency and sustainability of solar power designs attained with judicious deployment of metallic nano-particles.…”

Hybrid solar parabolic dish power plant and high‐temperature phase change material energy storage system

“…The hybrid structures of wind and solar farms are the two most typical examples of this novel concept . However, this concept is only feasible when the existed power plant is located in a place where high potential of utilizing renewable energies such as solar or wind energy is available . In this hybridization program, solar energy can be utilized in several ways, eg, supplying the part of the required load by photovoltaic panels or contributing in the structure of the power plant as a heating source to provide the needed thermal energy …”