SOLAR

COLLECTORS

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 Efficiency of flat plate
collector
ɳ=i q u / (Ac IT)
IT - Solar radiation incident on collector
plane qu – useful heat gain
Ac - Area of the collector

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 Concentrating
collector
• Concentration of solar radiation is achieved
by using a reflecting arrangement of mirrors
or a refracting arrangement of lenses.
• Using this concentrating collector we can
yield high temperature up to 400°C
• Compared with flat plate
collectors, concentrating collectors
have some drawbacks.

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 Aperture
• The aperture (W) is the plane opening of
the concentrator through which the solar
radiation passes.

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 Concentration
ratio
• It is the ratio of effective area of the
aperture to the surface of the absorber.
• This value varies from unity to few
thousands for a parabolic dish.
• This is limiting case in flat plate collector.

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 Acceptance
angle
• It is the angle over which beam radiation may
deviate from the normal to the aperture
plane and yet reach the absorber.
• Collectors with large angles
require only
acceptance while
occasional adjustments,
collectors with small acceptance angles have
to be adjusted continuously.

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 Concentrating
collectors
• Concentrating collectors can be classified
in many ways.
• They may be reflecting type utilizing mirrors
or of refracting type utilizing fresnel lenses.
• They may be spherical or parabolic or flat.
• The concentration ratio is also used as
a measure for classification.

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Different Types of Solar Concentrators

The four main types of solar

concentrators under development at
the current time:
a) Parabolic Trough (line focus)
b) Linear Fresnel (line focus)
c) Parabolic Dish (point focus)
d) Heliostat Field (point focus)
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Tracking of concentrating
collectors
• A cylindrical parabolic collector is oriented
with its focal axis pointed either in the east –
west or north – south direction.
• In the east – west orientation, the focal axis is
horizontal, while in the north – south
orientation, the focal axis may be horizontal
or inclines.

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 HELIOSTATS
• The heliostats form an array of circular
arcs around the central tower.
• They intercept, reflect and concentrate
the solar radiation onto the receiver.
• When the solar radiation is not collected,
the control system orients the heliostats in
a safe direction so that the receiver is not
damaged.

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• Each heliostat assembly have 12 slightly
concave glass mirrors mounted on a
support structure and geared drive (1x3m
each)
• Silvered polymer film laminated to a
thin metal foil.
• When clean, the heliostats had an
average reflectivity 0.903 But in practical
0.82.
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 Receive
r
• The receiver is the most complex part of
the collection system.
• The main factor influencing its design is its
ability to accept the large and variable
heat flux which results from the
concentration of the solar radiation by
heliostats.
• This flux has to be transferred to the
receiver fluid.
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