Experimental Assessment of a Small-Sized Parabolic-Trough Collector CAPSOL Project
Abstract
Thermal energy demand at temperatures up to 250ºC currently represents a significant percentage of global thermal energy consumption. The main applications that require thermal energy in this temperature range are industrial process heat production, heat-driven refrigeration and cooling (especially double-effect absorption chillers), low-temperature heat demand with high consumption rates, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plants, pumping irrigation water and desalination. Parabolic-trough collectors (PTCs) are the concentrating solar system technology with the highest potential for such demand. As a consequence of the growing interest in this technology, several companies and public institutions have recently marketed a number of commercial collectors and some prototypes are under development. This paper presents the experimental assessment of an innovative small-sized PTC for temperatures up to 250ºC, developed under the CAPSOL project. The testing was done in a solar optical and thermal performance test facility, designed and erected at the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) for accurate testing of small-sized PTCs, under real ambient conditions. After the assessment of a first prototype, CAPSOL-01, some improvements were made and a second prototype, CAPSOL02, was developed and is currently under assessment.