UNIT II

SOLAR ENERGY
COLLECTION, STORAGE
AND
APPLICATIONS
1.Flate Plate Collectors Or Non Concentrating

These are divided into two main classifications based

on the type of heat transfer fluid used.
1)Liquid heat collectors: used for heating the water

2)Aircollectors or solar air heaters:

A)Non-porous absorber:
in which the air stream does not flow through the
absorber plate .
Air may be flow above or behind the absorber plate .

B)Porous absorber plate :

it includes slit and expanded metal, transpired honey
comb and over lapped glass plate absorber .
2.Concentrating Collectors Or Focusing
Collectors:
it classified as mainly two types
i)line Focusing:
ii)point Focusing :
A)parabolic Trough System
B)parabolic Dish System
D)fresnel Lens Collector
C)power Tower System
E)compound Parabolic Concentrator( C.P.C)
1. FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS:
• Transparent Cover: It Consist Of One Or
More Sheets Of Glass
• Tubes : It Carry The Water, Air Or Other
Fluid
• Absorber Plate: Metallic Or With A
Black Surface
• Insulation: To Minimize The Heat
Losses
• Materials: Fibre Glass Or Styro-foam
• Casing Or Container : Protect From
Weather Condition.
 industrial heat requirements, flat plate
collectors generally cannot provide
carrier fluids at temperatures sufficiently
elevated to be effective.
• Alternatively, more complex and
expensive concentrating collectors can
be used.
• These are devices that optically reflect
and focus incident solar energy onto a
small receiving area.
• As a result of this concentration, the
intensity of the solar energy is magnified,
and the temperatures that can be
achieved at the receiver (called the
"target") can approach several hundred
or even several thousand degrees Celsius
• Concentrating, or focusing, collectors
intercept direct radiation over a large
area and focus it onto a small absorber
area.
• These collectors can provide high
temperatures more efficiently than flat-
plate collectors, since the absorption
surface area is much smaller.
• However, diffused sky radiation cannot be
focused onto the absorber.
• Most concentrating collectors require
mechanical equipment that constantly
orients the collectors toward the sun and
keeps the absorber at the point of focus.
There Are three Basic Types Of
Concentrating Collectors:
A)Parabolic Trough System
B)Parabolic Dish System

C)Power Tower System

• Unlike solar (photovoltaic) cells, which
use light to produce electricity,
concentrating solar power systems
generate electricity with heat.
• Concentrating solar collectors use
mirrors and lenses to concentrate and
focus sunlight onto a thermal receiver,
similar to a boiler tube.
• The receiver absorbs and converts
sunlight into heat.
• The heat is then transported to a steam
generator or engine where it is
converted into electricity.
•
 .Parabolic troughs are devices that are
shaped like the letter “u”. The troughs
concentrate sunlight onto a receiver tube
that is positioned along the focal line of the
trough.
.Sometimes a transparent glass tube
envelops the receiver tube to reduce heat
loss.

Parabolic Trough System

Crossection Of Parabolic Trough
 These solar collectors use mirrored parabolic
troughs to focus the sun's energy to a fluid-
carrying receiver tube located at the focal
point of a parabolically curved trough
reflector .It is shown in the figure below.

Parabolic Trough With Mirrored Parabolic Tro

 then used to generate electricity in a conventional
steam generator.

• Many troughs placed in parallel rows are called a

"collector field." The troughs in the field are all
aligned along a north south axis so they can track
the sun from east to west during the day, ensuring
that the sun is continuously focused on the
receiver pipes.

• Individual trough systems currently can generate

about 80 MW of electricity.
 in its hot phase allowing for electricity
generation several hours into the evening.
• Currently, all parabolic trough plants are
"hybrids," meaning they use fossil fuels to
supplement the solar output during periods
of low solar radiation.
• Typically, a natural gas-fired heat or a gas
steam boiler/reheater is used. Troughs also
can be integrated with existing coal-fired
plants.
Parabolic troughs often use single-axis
or dual-axis tracking.:
The below figure shows The below figure shows
one axis tracking two axis tracking
parabolic trough with axis concentrator.
oriented E-W.

One Axis Tracking Two Axis Tracking Concentra

Parabolic Trough with
 A parabolic dish collector is similar in
appearance to a large satellite dish, but has
mirror-like reflectors and an absorber at the
focal point.
It uses a dual axis sun tracker.

Parabolic dish collector with a

ossection of parabolic dish mirror-like reflectors and an
absorber at the focal point
onto a receiver located at the focal point in
front of the dish.
.In some systems, a heat engine, such as a
Stirling engine, is linked to the receiver to
generate electricity.
.Parabolic dish systems can reach 1000 °C at
the receiver, and achieve the highest
efficiencies for converting solar energy to
electricity in the small-power capacity range.

Solar Dish Stirling Engine

as reflectors to concentrate and focus the sun's
rays onto a receiver, which is mounted above
the dish at the dish center.

.A dish/engine system is a stand alone unit

composed primarily of a collector, a receiver,
and an engine.

.It works by collecting and concentrating the

sun's energy with a dish shaped surface onto a
receiver that absorbs the energy and transfers
it to the engine.
 Each dish produces 5 to 50 kW of electricity and
can be used independently or linked together to
increase generating capacity.
• A 250-kW plant composed of ten 25-kW dish/engine
systems requires less than an acre of land.
• Dish/engine systems are not commercially available
yet, although ongoing demonstrations indicate
good potential. Individual dish/engine systems
currently can generate about 25 kW of electricity.
• More capacity is possible by connecting dishes
together. These systems can be combined with
natural gas, and the resulting hybrid provides
continuous power generation.

Combination Of Parabolic
Dish System
• A heliostat uses a field of dual axis sun
trackers that direct solar energy to a large
absorber located on a tower.
• To date the only application for the heliostat
collector is power generation in a system
called the power tower.

Power tower system Heliostats

• A power tower has a field of large mirrors that
follow the sun's path across the sky.
• The mirrors concentrate sunlight onto a receiver
on top of a high tower.
• A computer keeps the mirrors aligned so the
reflected rays of the sun are always aimed at the
receiver, where temperatures well above 1000°C
can be reached.
• High-pressure steam is generated to produce
electricity.

Power Tower System With Heliostats

 thousands of individual sun-tracking mirrors
called "heliostats" to reflect solar energy onto a
receiver located on top of tall tower.
• The receiver collects the sun's heat in a heat-
transfer fluid (molten salt) that flows through
the receiver.
• The salt's heat energy is then used to make
steam to generate electricity in a conventional
steam generator, located at the foot of the
tower.
•
• 1.Thermal energy storage
• a.Sensibel heat storage
• i.Water storage ii.Pebble bed storage
• b.Latent heat
• 2.Electrical storage
• a.Capacitor storage b.Inductor storage
• C.Battery storage
• 3.Chemical storage
• a. Chemical b. Thermo chemical
• 4.Mechanical energy storage
• a. Pumped hydro- electric storage
• b.Compressed air
• c.Fly wheel
• 5.Electro Mangnetic storage
• Direct Solar Applications Are
• Solar Water Heating.
• Space Heating.
• Space Cooling.
• Solar Energy: Thermal Electric
Conversion.
• Solar Energy: Photovoltaic Electric
Conversion.
• Solar Distillation.
• Solar Pumping.
• Agriculture And Industrial Process
Heat.
• Solar Furnace.
• Solar Cooking.
• Solar Production Of Hydrogen.
• Solar Green House.