Title: Optical design of integrated line and point focus solar collector for process heat generation

Authors: Gunjan Kumar; Hemant Gupta

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shroff SR Rotary Institute of Chemical Technology, Gujarat Technological University, Ankleshwar, Ahmadabad, 393135, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shroff SR Rotary Institute of Chemical Technology, Gujarat Technological University, Ankleshwar, Ahmadabad, 393135, India

Abstract: Process heat in the form of steam or hot water is one of the essential requirements of various industrial applications. The need for these energies can be served with the help of solar energy. But, the limitations like the lower output of solar collectors and cost-effectiveness, make it difficult to implement in the industries. In this paper, an attempt has been made for the optical design of a solar system that can produce thermal power up to 1 kW. The concept of an integration of line focus and point focus is used in this work. A mathematical model has been developed to assist the optical design. The model is simulated using MATLAB coding. The dimensions of the collector are determined to generate dry and superheated steam to meet industrial needs. The results of the optical model are validated with the published experimental work which shows a good agreement.

Keywords: solar collector; line focus technology; point focus technology; optical design; zero emission; clean energy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2022.122631

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2022 Vol.25 No.3, pp.218 - 232

Received: 19 Dec 2020
Accepted: 22 Apr 2021
Published online: 04 May 2022 *

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