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Assignment V

This document contains 9 problems related to solar thermal collectors and systems. The problems cover topics like parametric calculations for parabolic trough collectors, estimating heat and optical losses, sizing central receiver systems, modeling solar updraft towers, and thermal properties of solar ponds.

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maaroufk.m
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11 views

Assignment V

This document contains 9 problems related to solar thermal collectors and systems. The problems cover topics like parametric calculations for parabolic trough collectors, estimating heat and optical losses, sizing central receiver systems, modeling solar updraft towers, and thermal properties of solar ponds.

Uploaded by

maaroufk.m
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Assignment V

Modules 6 & 7
1. Given a PTC with rim angle φr = 700 , focal length f= 1 m , and aperture length L=10 m , do
the following:
i) Estimate the minimum receiver diameter so as to capture all reflected radiation
ii) Estimate its aperture width and concentration ratio for the min diameter receiver
iii) Estimate the surface area of the reflector material

2. For the receiver in problem 1, do the following:


i) Estimate the area of the aperture lost and geometric factor Af, when incidence angle θ=450 .
ii) Plot the aperture area lost versus θ, from θ= 0 to 700
iii) Plot the optical efficiency versus θ, from θ= 0 to 700 for reflector ρ =0.9, receiver cover τ =0.9
, receiver surface absorptance α=0.85, and intercept factor γ=0.95
iv) Plot the optical efficiency versus axial length of trough from L=10 m to 160 m , for θ=450
and same reflector ρ, receiver cover τ, receiver surface absorptance α, and intercept factor γ
presented in iii).
v) Describe in very brief words what conclusions you deduced from those plots, and the cause
of the displayed characteristic
3. A 30 m long PTC with an aperture width of 3.5 m has a pipe receiver of 50 mm outside diameter
and 40 mm inside diameter and a glass cover 70 mm in diameter. If space between receiver and
glass cover is evacuated, estimate the overall collector heat loss coefficient, the useful energy gain,
and the exit fluid temperature; given the following:
Incident solar beam radiation = 800 W/m2
Optical efficiency, ηo = 50 %
Receiver temperature = 310 0C = 573 K
Receiver emissivity, εr= 0.9
Glass cover emissivity, εg=0.87
Circulating fluid, cp=1350 J/kg K
Entering fluid temperature = 2500C = 523 K
Mass flow rate =0.30 kg/s
Heat transfer coefficient inside pipe= 350 W/m2K
Tube thermal conductivity, k=40 W/m K
Ambient temperature = 270C = 300 K
Wind velocity = 4 m/s
Note: to save your time
i-you can assume the following air property values for the entire range of temperatures,(Ta+Tg)/2,
encountered in your calculations: ρ=1.08 kg/m3; μ=2X10-5 kg/m.s; and k=0.03 W/m.K
ii-start with an initial guess value of Tg = 800C and perform minimum 2 trials, checking the value of
Tg after each trial; use a spreadsheet for your calculations since much of those steps will be
repeated during iteration, and during the solution of problems 4-6, so you can save considerable
time by copy-paste.

4. Given that the trough rim angle φr is less than 900 , repeat calculations for previous problem
with same conditions and data except that the receiver glass cover tube has the internal surface of
its top half entirely coated with a highly reflective coating (assume ρ=1) such that all radiation
emitted from the top half of the receiver may be assumed to be reflected back to the receiver(and
not lost to atmosphere); also Tr=3300 C in this case. Start with an initial guess value of Tg=650 C.

5. Repeat the calculations for problem 3 with same conditions and data, except that the glass
tube cover surrounding the receiver is removed, hence Tr=2000C and Tfi=1100C .

6. Given a field of PTC of the same geometry as that of problem 3, except that the length of
collector is L=150 m and Tr=3900C, all other data being identical to problem 3; start with Tg=140oC,
perform two trials, and estimate the useful energy gain/trough and fluid exit temperature.
Given that the field is formed from parallel rows of PTC aligned N-S and 600 m deep(i.e. 4 troughs
deep in N-S direction) and of sufficient width to produce 20 MW electrical power output when
Gb=800 W/m2, with a thermal to electrical power generation efficiency of 25% ; calculate the width
of the field if the E-W distance between two neighboring rows is 2.5 × aperture width.
Is the E-W spacing between troughs needed to improve early and late-day performance or to
improve mid-day performance and why?

7. In a central receiver collector, the height of the tower is 150 m, the rim angle is 550 and the
mirrors are square with sides 5 m. Find the size of the image formed at the absorber by the outer
most mirror, the area of the absorber for the geometry displayed below(spherical bottom followed
by conical section) ,the corresponding concentration ratio and number of Heliostats. Also estimate
the useful heat collected if (Ib Rbav)= 750 W/m2 .
Take ψ=0.4 and θe = 0.002 radians;(ρτα)=0.7; absorber temperature Tpm = 5000C; ambient
temperature Ta=250C and UL =26 W/m2K
Consider the mirrors to be: i)Flat, and ii) dished.
8. A Solar Updraft Tower has a stack height hs=1200 m, collector diameter D=8000 m and stack
diameter ds=160 m; given average Gt= 300 W/m2and ambient air temperature Ta=270C, and
that transmissivity of glass cover τ = 0.88, absorptivity of ground α=0.83, and FR=0.88 :
I. Using a FPC analysis calculate the average rate of heat gained by the air passing through the
collector in MW, neglecting the heat loss through ground.
II. Given that the turbine characteristics is such as to yield a velocity in the stack equal to 40% of
that given by Torcelli’s equation, calculate the air stack temperature and collector efficiency.
III. Hence estimate the total plant efficiency assuming the turbine efficiency ηT= 0.87 ; also
estimate the theoretical net turbine power output .

9. A solar pond is 1.5m deep. The bottom 40 cm is the LCZ and displays a temperature of
900C. The 0.9 m of water above it is the insulating layer(NCZ) ; its density increases
downwards so that convection does not occur. The top surface layer (UCZ) is assumed to
have a constant temperature of 270C, and to display negligible salt content.
a) calculate the thermal resistance of the insulating layer/unit area, taking thermal
conductivity of water kw=0.64 W/mK
b) The density of NaCl solution increases by 0.75g per liter for every 1.0 g of NaCl added to 1.0
Kg H2O. The volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion, β, of NaCl solution is about
4x10-4/K. Calculate the minimum concentration Cmin of NaCl required in the storage layer to
suppress convection.
c) The molecular diffusivity of NaCl in water is 1.5x10-5 cm2s-1. The pond is set up with the
storage layer having five times the critical concentration of NaCl, i.e. 5× Cmin calculated in (b),
and then left to operate in batch mode(left unattended). Estimate the time for molecular
diffusion to lower this concentration to double Cmin .
d) What would happen to the pond if it was left unattended until the concentration gradient in
the NCZ dropped below Cmin /hNCZ ? If you wanted the pond to continue operating for a
very long time what maintenance would need to be done?

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