Small-Sized Parabolic Trough Collector System for Solar Dehumidification Application: Design, Development, and Potential Assessment

Abstract

The current study presents a numerical and real-time performance analysis of a parabolic trough collector (PTC) system designed for solar air-conditioning applications. Initially, a thermodynamic model of PTC is developed using engineering equation solver (EES) having a capacity of around 3 kW. Then, an experimental PTC system setup is established with a concentration ratio of 9.93 using evacuated tube receivers. The experimental study is conducted under the climate of Taxila, Pakistan in accordance with ASHRAE 93-1986 standard. Furthermore, PTC system is integrated with a solid desiccant dehumidifier (SDD) to study the effect of various operating parameters such as direct solar radiation and inlet fluid temperature and its impact on dehumidification share. The experimental maximum temperature gain is around 5.2°C, with the peak efficiency of 62% on a sunny day. Similarly, maximum thermal energy gain on sunny and cloudy days is 3.07 kW and 2.33 kW, respectively. Afterwards, same comprehensive EES model of PTC with some modifications is used for annual transient analysis in TRNSYS for five different climates of Pakistan. Quetta revealed peak solar insolation of 656 W/m 2 and peak thermal energy 1139 MJ with 46% efficiency. The comparison shows good agreement between simulated and experimental results with root mean square error of around 9%.

Experimental validation of solar parabolic trough collector model for industrial process heat application

“…The variation occurs because instantaneous efficiency is maximized when direct solar radiations are at its peak and incidence angles are small. The efficiency of the PTC collector prototype therefore remains high at higher temperatures during the day; and this is why this type of collectors are deemed suitable for high temperature applications (Chaudhary et al, 2018).…”

Experimental investigation of solar compound parabolic collector using Al2O3/H2O nanofluid in a subtropical climate

“…The incident angle modifier (IAM) is calculated in terms of thermal efficiency, collector heat removal factor and optical efficiency as [29].…”

Performance predication of a solar assisted desiccant air conditioning system using radial basis function neural network: An integrated machine learning approach

“…Desiccant Air Conditioning (DAC) systems have gained immense interest as a substitute for traditional air conditioning systems due to their efficient use of thermal energy [ 2 , 3 ]. DAC systems allow higher ventilation air flow to enhance indoor air quality [ 4 ], ensuring reduced humidity level and eliminating airborne contaminants [ 5 ]. In Solid DAC systems, mainly rotary desiccant wheels are employed for dehumidification purpose and have great potential to control latent load.…”