E. K.

NAYANAR MEMORIAL MODEL POLYTECHNIC

COLLEGE
KALLIASSERI

MANAGED BY

INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

SEMINAR REPORT
ON

CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

Submitted By

SREENANDU.E.K

2201200430

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION

ENGINEERING
(2024-2025)
 E. K. NAYANAR MEMORIAL MODEL POLYTECHNIC
COLLEGE
KALLIASSERI

MANAGED BY

INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this seminar report is the bonafide record of the Seminar presented by
SREENANDU.E.K (2201200430) on for the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award
of Diploma in ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING of Technical
Education, KeralaState (2024-2025).

Mr. SAJITH P Mrs. NISHA.P.V Mrs. NEETHU MOHAN.C

PRINCIPAL SEMINAR COORDINATOR SEMINAR GUIDE

EKNMMPT EKNMMPT EKNMMPT

COLLEGE COLLEGE COLLEGE
KALLIASSERY KALLIASSERY KALLIASSERY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is with great enthusiasm and the learning spirit that I bring out this seminar report. I also feel
that it is the right opportunity to acknowledge the support and guidance that came in from various
quarters during the course of the completion of my seminar.

I am extremely grateful to Mr. Sajith.P, Principal, for providing the necessary facilities,
excellent infrastructure together with awesome environment to complete the seminar.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mrs.Nisha.P.V , Head of Department for her
encouragement and guidance.

I express my sincere gratitude to Mrs.Neethu Mohan.C, Seminar guide for her encouragement
and guidance.

I also thank all the staff members of the department for extending their helping hands to make
this seminar a success.

I would also like to thank all my friends and my parents who have prayed and helped me during
my work
 ABSTRACT

A concentrating solar collector is a technology designed to enhance solar energy capture by

using optical elements like mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight onto a small, highly efficient receiver.
This concentrated solar energy is converted into thermal energy, which can be used for various
applications such as generating electricity, heating fluids, or supporting industrial processes. By
concentrating sunlight, these collectors achieve higher temperatures and greater efficiency compared
to traditional flat-plate collectors, making them suitable for large-scale solar power installations.
 CONTENTS

SL NO CHAPTER NAME PAGE NO

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 WHAT IS CSC? 2

3 TYPES OF CSC 4

3.1 PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTOR 4

3.2 SOLAR POWER TOWER 5

3.3 FRESNEL REFLECTORS 6

3.4 PARABOLIC DISH COLLECTOR 6

4 COMPONENTS OF CSC SYSTEM 8

5 ADVANTAGES 9

6 DISADVANTAGES 10

7 APPLICATIONS 11

8 LIMITATIONS 12

9 FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS 13

10 CONCLUSION 14

REFERENCES 15
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIG NO FIGURE NAME PAGE NO

3.1 PTC 4

3.2 Solar Power Tower 5

3.3 Fresnel Reflectors 6

3.4 Parabolic Dish 7

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

To concentrate a large area of sunlight and solar thermal energy onto a small area
Concentrated Collector or Concentrated Solar Collector(CSC) uses mirrors or lenses. The
presentation uniqueness of a solar energy collector can be illustrated by a purpose relating the
concentration to the direction of confrontation radiation. A stringent leap on the vitality of this
function is developed. This is used to describe a pragmatic class of collectors with maximum
concentration which dole out as a basis for design and research studies.
To know the energy output and efficiency of solar collectors experiment was done in a
refrigerant ejector refrigeration machine with the use of R113 as the refrigerant. In solar system oil
transformers plays a vital role because it is used as a working fluid. The outcomes shown by
concentrated collectors by using the system successfully is mesmerizing. This system can be used
in both the ways i.e. for heating and cooling purposes both because the maximum collector
efficiency was 20%. A group from IBM is functioning on a different and new collector dish. The
collector assures to do more with sunlight once it gets ensnared because the micro channels must
soak up more than half of the waste heat, their hot water byproduct can either be cleaned into
drinkable water or transformed into air conditioning.

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SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 2
WHAT IS CSC?

A solar energy collector is a heat-exchanging device that transforms solar radiation

into thermal energy that can be utilized for power generation. The basic function of a solar collector
is to absorb incident solar radiation and convert it into heat, which is then carried away by a heat
transfer fluid (HTF) flowing through the collector. The heat transfer fluid links the solar collectors to
the power generation system, carrying thermal energy from each collector to a central steam generator
or thermal storage system as it circulates.
There are two general categories of solar collectors. The first includes stationary, non-
concentrating collectors, in which the same area is used for both interception and absorption of
incident radiation. The second category consists of sun-tracking, concentrating solar collectors, which
utilize optical elements to focus large amounts of radiation onto a small receiving area and follow the
sun throughout its daily course to maintain the maximum solar flux at their focus. A comprehensive
review of sun-tracking methods and principles was published by Mousazadeh et al.
Light concentration ratios can be expressed in suns, with a single sun (1000 W/m2) being a
measurement of average incident light flux per unit area at the earth's surface. Though more costly,
concentrating collectors have numerous advantages over stationary collectors, and are generally
associated with higher operation temperatures and greater efficiencies. The addition of an optical
device to the conventional solar collector (receiver) has proved useful in several regards; various
concentration schemes can achieve a wide range of concentration ratios, from unity to over
10,000 sun. This increases the operation temperature as well as the amount of heat collected in a given
area, and yields higher thermodynamic efficiencies. Radiation focusing allows the usage of receivers
with very small relative surface areas, which leads to significant reductions in heat loss by convection.
Despite the added capital investment necessary for manufacturing the optical elements of the
apparatus, the materials used for these mirrors/lenses are generally inexpensive compared
with thermal collector materials, which are needed in much smaller amounts in a concentrator scheme.
The reduction in receiver size and material amounts makes expensive receiver conditioning (vacuum
insulation, surface treatments, etc.) for higher efficiency and heat loss minimization economically
sensible. Finally, the ability to control the concentration ratio of a system allows delicate manipulation

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 2 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

of its operation temperature, which can be thermodynamically matched to specific applications as

needed to avoid wasted heat. It is important to note that reflective materials used in CSP technologies
must meet certain reflectivity and lifetime requirements to be cost-effective. A study of the optical
durability of solar reflectors was presented by Kennedy and Terwilliger and an investigation specific
to aluminum first-surface mirrors was carried out by Almanza et al.
Tyagi et al. investigated the effects of HTF mass flow rates and collector concentration ratios
on various system parameters. Results showed that exergy output (available work from a process that
brings a system to thermal equilibrium), exergetic and thermal efficiencies and inlet
temperature increased with solar intensity, as expected. Exergetic and thermal efficiencies and exergy
output were found to increase with mass flow rate as well. Optimal inlet temperature and exergetic
efficiency at high solar intensity were both found to be the decreasing functions of the concentration
level. At low intensity values, however, efficiency first increases and then decreases with increase in
concentration. This behaviour results from increased radiative losses associated with high
concentration ratios. Both concentration ratios of solar collectors and the mass flow rates at which
they operate must be meticulously chosen to achieve optimal performance.
Concentrating collectors can achieve different concentration ratios and thus operate at various
temperatures. From a theoretical standpoint, the efficiency of power producing heat processes is both
proportional and strictly dependent on the operation temperature. In practice, however, the materials
chosen for light concentration and absorption, heat transfer and storage, as well as the power
conversion cycles used are the true deciding factors. The following sections will describe the
aforementioned collector schemes in detail, and present technological advancements that have been
made in each over the last 10 years.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 3 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 3
TYPES OF CSC

3.1 PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTOR(PTC)

➢ A parabolic trough comprises a linear parabolic reflector that concentrates sunlight on a

receiver that is positioned along the focal line of the reflector. The receiver is a tube placed
directly over the middle of the parabolic mirror and filled with a working fluid.

➢ The heat absorbed by the working fluid transfers to water for producing steam. The focus of
solar radiation changes with the change in the Sun’s elevation.

➢ The reflector keeps following the sun during the day by tracking along a single axis. A working
fluid (e.g., molten salt is heated between 150 and 350 °C (302–662 °F) as it flows through the
receiver and is then used as a source of heat for generating electricity.

➢ Among all the concentrated solar collectors, trough systems are the most developed
technology.

➢ Acciona’s Nevada Solar One near Boulder City, Nevada, and Andasol were first commercial
parabolic trough plants of Europe.

➢ Also, the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) plants in California and Plataforma Solar
de Almería’s SSPS-DCS test facilities in Spain are other examples of such plants.

Fig 3.1
PTC

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 4 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

3.2 SOLAR POWER TOWER

➢ A solar power tower comprises an array of dual-axis tracking reflectors or heliostats that
concentrate sunlight on a central receiver placed at the top of the tower. The receiver contains
a heat-transfer fluid, which contains water-steam or molten salt.

➢ The heliostats are installed around the central tower. Each heliostat rotates into two directions
to track the sun. The solar radiation that reflects from heliostats is absorbed by the receiver
mounted on a tower of about 500 m height.

➢ Optically a solar power tower is similar to a circular Fresnel reflector. The working fluid in
the receiver is heated to 500–1000°C (932–1,832°F or 773-1,273 K). Subsequently, it is used
as a heat source for generating electricity or storing energy.

➢ An advantage of the solar tower is that the reflectors can be adjusted instead of the whole
tower. The technology of power tower is less advanced than trough systems. However, they
provide higher efficiency and better capability of storing energy.

➢ The Ashalim Power Station, Israel, once completed, will be the tallest solar tower in the world.
The construction of the tower began in 2014. The tower will have concentrated light from
more than 50,000 heliostats.

➢ The Planta Solar 10 (PS10) in Sanlúcar la Mayor, Spain, is the first commercial utility-grade
solar power tower in the world.

➢ The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, located in the Mojave Desert (377 MW capacity), is the
largest CSP facility in the world and has three power towers.

Fig 3.2
Solar Power Tower

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 5 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

3.3 FRESNEL REFLECTORS

➢ Fresnel reflectors contain many thin, flat mirror strips to concentrate sunlight on tubes through
which working fluid is pumped.

➢ Flat mirrors accommodate more reflective surfaces in the same amount of space than a
parabolic reflector. They capture more available sunlight and also much cheaper than parabolic
reflectors. Fresnel reflectors can be used in various sizes of CSPs.

➢ Fresnel reflectors are often said to be a technology with the lowest output than other methods.

➢ Some new models of Fresnel reflectors with ray tracing capacity have recently been tested and
initially proved to provide higher output than the standard version.

Fig 3.3
Fresnel Reflectors

3.4 PARABOLIC DISH COLLECTOR

➢ A parabolic dish collector or dish stirling has a stand-alone parabolic reflector that
concentrates light on a receiver placed at the focal point of the reflector.

➢ The reflector tracks the Sun along dual axes. The working fluid in the receiver is heated up in
the temperature between 250°C and 700°C (482–1, 292 °F) and then used in a stirling engine.

➢ Parabolic-dish systems provide a high level of solar-to-electric efficiency (between 31% and
32%), and their modular nature provides scalability.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 6 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

➢ SES dishes at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) in New Mexico set a world
record for solar-to-electric efficiency at 31.25% on January 31, 2008.

➢ In 2015, Ripasso Energy, a Swedish firm, the developer of parabolic dish collector, tested the
system in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa and recorded 34% efficiency.

➢ Some of the examples of this technology are Stirling Energy Systems (SES), Science
Applications International Corporation (SAIC) dishes at UNLV, and United Sun Systems
(USS) and Australian National University’s Big Dish in Canberra, Australia.

➢ Because of the limitations of size and the small quantity of fluid, parabolic dish collectors are
suitable for small-scale power generation (up to a few kW).

Fig 3.4
Parabolic Dish

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 7 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 4
COMPONENTS OF CSC SYSTEM

The components of a concentrating solar collector system include:

➢ Reflector: A parabolic or curved surface that focuses the sun's radiation onto a smaller
receiving area.
➢ Receiver: Absorbs the concentrated solar radiation and converts it into thermal energy.
➢ Support structures: Support the system.
➢ Sun tracking mechanism: Tracks the sun's movement and keeps the collector moving.
➢ Heat transfer fluid transport mechanism: Transports the heat transfer fluid.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 8 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 5
ADVANTAGES

1. Zero Fuel Cost:

Concentrated solar collectors do not need any fuel like most other renewable
energy sources. This is undoubtedly a significant advantage over fossil fuels, the cost of which is
going up rapidly every year. Due to this reason, electricity prices are also increasing fast in more
parts of the world faster than general inflation.
2. Can Produce Both Electricity and Heat:
Concentrating solar collectors deliver heat at a much higher temperature. Due to higher
temperatures, it is possible for the power generation equipment to generate both electricity and
heat.
3. Round-the-Clock Availability of Electricity:
Concentrated solar collectors make it possible to produce electricity 24-hours a day by
storing the energy. Other forms of Renewable energy, like wind energy, are intermittent.
4. No Carbon Emission:
Concentrated solar collectors do not cause any carbon emission, which is a great
advantage.
5. Job Creation:
Concentrated solar power production can create more permanent jobs and boost the
economy as compared to other types of renewable energy resources.
6. Economy of Scale:
The effects of a significant economy of scale can be observed when shifting to large
concentrating systems, which makes the technology cost-effective.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 9 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 6
DISADVANTAGES

1. High Costs:
The average production cost of concentrated solar thermal energy is much higher than
other renewable resources. Though during the past few years, the average cost has dropped to
$0.20/kWh. Still, the costs are high as in comparison, the average production cost of solar PV
is in the range of $0.05 to $0.10/kWh. The average cost of solar PV production will drop even
further in the future.
2. Future Technologies can potentially make CSP obsolete:
Solar energy is witnessing new innovations quite frequently. Companies all over the
world are experimenting to find more efficient and cost-effective ways to produce solar energy
by making technological breakthroughs. Especially, Chinese solar companies are dominating
the solar market by providing low-cost energy using advanced methods. These new
innovations may potentially make concentrated solar technology outdated.
3. May Aggravate Water Shortage:
CSP plants use significant amounts of water, and that may pose a major problem in dry
regions. Using non-water cooling increases the cost of CSP projects quite a bit. Though using
seawater has been suggested; still, its feasibility remains to be seen.
4. Environmental Issue:
Using massive arrays of mirrors may negatively impact the wildlife in the dry regions,
especially endangering the rare species. For example, there have already been conflicts in
California on this issue with project Developers reducing the size of their plants and bearing
the additional cost to move wildlife.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 10 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 7
APPLICATIONS

Concentrating solar collectors have many applications, including:

1. Water heating:

Solar collectors on roofs can reduce utility costs by heating water in homes.

2. Electricity generation:

Concentrating solar collectors can generate electricity for solar plants. The heat
energy from the concentrated sunlight can spin a turbine or power an engine.

3. Industrial process heat:

Concentrating solar collectors can be used for industrial process heat.

4. Water purification:

Concentrating solar collectors can be used for water purification.

5. Commercial space cooling:

Concentrating solar collectors can be used for commercial space cooling systems.

6. Thermal detoxification:

Concentrating solar collectors can be used for thermal detoxification.

7. Steam production:

Concentrating solar collectors can be used for steam production.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 11 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 8
LIMITATIONS

Concentrating solar collectors have several limitations, including:

1. Cost
Concentrated solar collectors are expensive to build and maintain. The average cost of
production is higher than other renewable resources.
2. Land use
Concentrated solar power plants require a large amount of land, making them
uneconomical in populated areas.
3. Water use
Concentrated solar power plants use a lot of water to drive steam turbines and cool reactors.
This can be a problem in dry regions.
4. Environmental impact
The large arrays of mirrors used in concentrated solar power plants can negatively impact
wildlife in dry regions.
5. Performance in cloudy weather
Concentrated solar collectors can only focus on direct solar radiation, so they perform
poorly on cloudy days.
6. Practicality
Concentrated solar collectors are only practical in areas with high direct insolation, such
as deserts and arid regions.
7. Temperature
Higher concentration ratios can raise the temperature at which the performance and
reliability of the system are affected.
8. Economic implications
High concentration ratios can reduce system cost by enhancing system efficiency.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 12 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 9
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

Some future developments for concentrating solar collectors include:

Automation
Solar collector fields could be automated to operate without human input, which could reduce
operating costs and increase thermal energy collection efficiency.
Dish-Stirling technologies
Research and development efforts could make dish-Stirling technologies more economically
viable for large-scale deployment.
Thermal energy storage
Thermal energy storage can increase the time each day that a solar power plant can generate
energy.
Heliostats
Research and development efforts could produce low-cost and high-performance heliostats.
Indirect particle receivers
Indirect particle receivers could have lower heat losses relative to an open cavity receiver.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 13 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

CHAPTER 10
CONCLUSION

Concentrating solar power technology for electricity generation is ready for the market.
Varioustypes of single and dual-purpose plants have been analysed and tested in the field. In
addition,experience has been gained from the first commercial installations in use worldwide since
thebeginning of the 1980s. Solar thermal power plants will, within the next decade, provide
asignificant contribution to an efficient, economical and environmentally benign energy supplyboth
in large-scale gridconnected dispatchable markets and remote or modular distributedmarkets.
Parabolic and Fresnel troughs, central receivers and parabolic dishes will be installedfor solar/fossil
hybrid and solar-only power plant operation. In parallel, decentralised processheat for industrial
applications will be provided by low-cost concentrated collectors.
Following a subsidised introduction phase in green markets, electricity costs will decrease
from14 to 18 Euro cents per kilowatt hour presently in Southern Europe towards 5 to 6 Euro cents per
kilowatt hour in the near future at good sites in the countries of the Earth‟s sunbelt. After that, there
will be no further additional cost in the emission reduction by CSP. This, and the vastpotential for
bulk electricity generation, moves the goal of longterm stabilisation of the globalclimate into a
realistic range. Moreover, the problem of sustainable water resources anddevelopment in arid regions
is addressed in an excellent way, making use of highly efficient,solar powered co-generation systems.
However, during the introduction phase, strong politicaland financial support from the responsible
authorities is still required, and many barriers must beovercome.

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 14 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY

SEMINAR REPORT 2024 CONCENTRATING SOLAR COLLECTOR

REFERENCES

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/concentrating-solar-
collector#:~:text=Solar%20concentrating%20collectors%20are%20special,or%20air)%20in%20the
%20collectors.
• https://www.aptlimited.co.uk/renewableenergytranslations/concentrated-solar-collectors-types-and-
their-advantages-disadvantages/
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/concentrating-solar-collector
• https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/concentrating-solar-thermal-power-basics
• https://www.scribd.com/doc/93352246/Seminar-Report

DEPARTMENT OF ECE 15 EKNMMPTC KALLIASSERY