Numerical Study of Concentration Characteristics of Linear Fresnel Reflector System

Title & Authors
Numerical Study of Concentration Characteristics of Linear Fresnel Reflector System
Lee, Hyun Jin; Kim, Jong Kyu; Lee, Sang Nam;

Abstract
In this study, we numerically investigated the concentration characteristics of a linear Fresnel reflector system that can drive a solar thermal absorption refrigeration system to be installed in Saudi Arabia. Using an optical modeling program based on the Monte Carlo ray-tracing method, we simulated the concentrated solar flux, concentration efficiency, and concentrated solar energy on four representative days of the year - the vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox, and winter solstice. Except the winter solstice, the concentrations were approximately steady from 9 AM to 15 PM, and the concentration efficiencies exceed 70%. Moreover, the maximum solar flux around the solar receiver center changes only within the range of $\small{13.0{\sim}14.6kW/m^2}$. When we investigated the effects of the receiver installation height, reflector width, and reflector gap, the optimal receiver installation height was found to be 5 m. A smaller reflector width had a greater concentration efficiency. However, the design of the reflector width should be based on the capacity of the refrigeration system because it dominantly affects the concentrated solar energy. The present study was an essential prerequisite for thermal analyses of the solar receiver. Thus, an optical-thermal integration study in the future will assist with the performance prediction and design of the entire system.
Keywords
Solar Concentration;Linear Fresnel Reflector;Solar Thermal Cooling;Optical Efficiency;Monte Carlo Ray-Tracing Method;
Language
Korean
Cited by
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