ERODE SENGUNTHAR ENGINEERING COLLEGE

(Approved by AICTE, New Delhi, Permanently Affiliated to Anna University – Chennai,

Accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA), New Delhi and
National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore with ‘A’ Grade)
Thudupathi (Po.), Perundurai, Erode - 638 057.

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF

PARABOLIC TROUGH SOLAR
COLLECTOR

Guided By, Presented By,

Mr. S. Nagarajan J. Ajith kumar (730416114002)
Assistant professor, P.Karthick (730416114021)
Mechanical Engineering. G.Kumaraguru (730416114024)
ABSTRACT
Solar energy is abundant in nature and it is very important source of
renewable energy. In India 75% of the year especially in southern India, sunlight
intensity is very high. This solar energy is used in many forms such as for produce
electricity through solar photovoltaic cell and also used for steam generation
building heating, process heating, drying using solar collectors. In our project it is
concentrated to design and fabricate a parabolic trough collector for water heating
application. The stages of design, modeling, and evaluation of a parabolic trough
solar collector (PTC) for heating water as a demonstrative prototype are presented.
In the design it was considered the parabolic aperture of 1m wide and 5m long .The
design was done using computer aided design and manufacturing. The results of the
evaluation to determine the thermal performance of the parabolic trough collector
have a maximum outlet temperature of 47.3°C for a direct solar radiation of
783W/m^2 at a flow rate of 0.200L/min.
LITERATURE RIVEW
Falah Abdalhasan M., Design and Revelent Finding: investigated the
Fabrication of Parabolic Trough Solar performance of the Parabolic Trough Solar
Collector for Thermal Energy Applications, Collector (PTSC), the results of this
College of Science / University of Baghdad, collector were relatively acceptable,
2002. considering that it is the first attempt to
fabricate such collected. The technical
feasibility of using PTSC results in the
thermal energy at temperatures up to 150°C
for solar irradiance about 400-500 W/m2.

A. Mokhtari, thermal and optical study of Revelent Finding: Attempted the research
parabolic trough collectors of shiraz solar on the 250 kW solar energy power plants in
power plant, Proceedings of the Third Shiraz, 2007 . The power plant comprised
International Conference on Thermal of oil and steam cycle operation. Oil cycle
Engineering: Theory and Applications May includes 48 parabolic trough collectors, and
21-23, 2007. the study focused on the performance of the
generating hot oil by parabolic trough
collector system.
 LITERATURE RIVEW
K. Azizian, Design analysis for expansion Revelent Finding: investigated the
of Shiraz solar power plant to 500 kW thermal analyzes of the parabolic
power generation capacity, World trough collector plant, the results
Renewable Energy Congress,Sweeden show that it will lead to the steam
May 2011. generation to 250 °C temperature.

T. Ahmed Yassen, Experimental and Revelent Finding:performed to define

Theoretical Study of a Parabolic Trough the thermal efficiency of the (PTSC).
Solar Collector, Anbar Journal for The experiments have been conducted
Engineering Sciences AJES-2012, Vol.5, during winter and summer at Tikrit-
No.1. Iraq. The result of the experimental
thermal efficiency of the collector was
less than the theoretical method. So
the increase in the water mass flow
rate leads to an increase in the thermal
efficiency, and there was no
significant change in thermal
efficiency
 LITERATURE RIVEW
Esmail M.A, Techno-economic Revelent Finding:studied the evaluation of
performance analysis of parabolic trough the average hourly, daily, monthly and
collector in Dheradun, Energy Conversion annually thermal efficiency of the
and Management 86 (2013) 622–633. Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTCs). The
study showed that the maximum optical
efficiency that can be reached in Dhahran
was 73.5%, while the minimum optical
efficiency was 61%. This study also
showed that the specific cost for a PTC
field per unit aperture area is decreased
about 46% and 48% of 10 hectares, and
the specific cost of different mechanical
works is about 72% and 75% of 160
hectares, compared to that at 2.8 hectares.
 INTRODUCTION
One of the most important roles in providing clean non- polluting energy in
domestic and industrial applications is played by solar thermal systems. Concentrating
solar technologies, such as parabolic dish, compound parabolic collector and parabolic
trough, have the ability to operate at high temperatures and are used to supply heat to the
industrial process, off-grid electricity and huge electrical power. In a parabolic trough
solar collector (PTSC), the reflective profile focuses sunlight on a linear receiver tube or
heat collecting element (HCE) through which heat transfer fluid is pumped. This fluid
collects the solar energy in the form of heat that can then be used in various applications.
DIAGRAM
WORKING
Solar fields using trough systems captures the sun’s energy using large
mirrors shaped like a parabola, that are connected together in long lines that
track the sun’s movement throughout the day. When the sun’s heat is reflected
off the mirror, the curved shape sends most of that reflected heat into a receiver
pipe that is filled with a specialized heat transfer fluid. The thermal energy
from the heated fluid generates steam and electricity in a conventional steam
turbine. Once the fluid transfer’s its heat, it is recirculated into the system for
reuse. The steam is also cooled, condensed and reused. Heated fluid in trough
system’s can also provide heat to thermal storage system which can be used to
generate electricity at a times when the sun is not shining.
OBJECTIVES
 To select the appropriate material for reflector.
 To design the optimum system for water heating.
 To determine the efficiency of the system.
 To fabricate solar trough collector system.
METHODOLOGY
Materials used:
 Sheet Metal – GI sheet
 Aluminum foil
 Plywood
 Copper pie

Fabrication:
 Welding
 Drilling
 Plumbing
 Carpentry
MATERIALS PURCHASED
S.NO Materials COST(Rs.)
1. Aluminium foil 220

2. Copper pipe 600

3. Sheet Metal 1300
4. Plywood 550
Total 2700
PROCESS DONE
The focal point height is found by drawing parabola.
The Plywood has been cut in a parabolic shape.
Aluminium foil has been pasted in GI sheet.
Frame has been welded according to its measurement.
Then, the final set up is done.
FORMULA USED
 Diameter of the Absorber : where,
D=asin0.267/sinƟ a=width of the absorber
Ɵ= Rim angel
Focus point : where,
H=a^2/16f a=width of the absorber

 Calculation of Rim angle :

TanƟ=opp/adj
CALCULATIONS
 Diameter of absorber:
D = asin0.267/sinƟ
= 1*sin0.267/sin101.30
D = 4.7mm
Focus point:
H = a^2/16f
= 1^2/16*F
F = 0.2m
Rim angle:
tanƟ = 0.1/0.5
Ɵ = 101.30°
SPECIFICATIONS OF
PARABOLIC TROUGH
SOLAR COLLECTOR
Length of the parabola = 5m
Diameter of the Absorber = 0.0047 m
Rim Angle = 101.30°
Aperture Area = 5m^2
FINISHED PROTOTYPE
RESULTS Time - Temperature Graph
50
45
40
Temperature

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Time
DISCUSSIONS
The experiment was carried out in two days, from 11:20 am to 2:00 pm,
With a solar radiation in the range of 400-900 W/m2, and a room
temperature of 23-31°C.
The maximum output water temperature (Ts) was 47.3°C at 1.30 p.m.
with a direct solar radiation of 783.58 W/m2and the minimum was
34.5°C at 12.40 pm
On the second day of evaluation meteorological conditions were partially
cloudy. Maximum temperatures of 42.2°C at 12.20 p.m. were registered,
with a radiation of de 858.2 W/m2, the minimum value recording was
30°C at 12.50 p.m. with a direct solar radiation of 646 W/m2.
CONCLUSION
In this study, a solar refrigeration system powered by parabolic trough
collectors is analyzed parametrically. The innovative of this study is the
determination of crucial parameters by studying the system in dynamic
state, using real weather data for Athens. There is no other energy source,
fact that makes this system fully renewable.
• Greater mass flow rate in the absorber chiller leads to higher
refrigeration rate but the total operation time reduces. Thus, the choice of
this parameter depends on the examined application and the operation
hours.
• The specific mass flow rate in the solar collector loop influences on the
system performance and the optimum value is about 0.03 kg/sm2. This
result is important because it is proves the need of mass flow rate
optimization in every solar cooling system.
FUTURE SCOPE
The design of the parabolic torque-tube collector structure with rib
design used mild steel as the material, which provides good mechanical
strength but accounts for the increase in the weight of the overall
collector.
Hence an advanced metal matrix composite shall be proposed which
may overcome these drawbacks.
Also the design uses water as working fluid, this can be replaced by
molten salts as they may provide better heat transfer properties as
compared to water.
Different combinations of carbonates–nitrates–chlorides may be used
and experiments can be conducted for its validation for future work.
THANK YOU