Analysis of Heat Pipes for CPC Solar Collectors to Provide Heat for Industrial Processes
Abstract
As part of a project aimed at supporting medium-temperature industrial heat processes, this study analyzes the use of solar-concentrated Heat Pipes to reach steam-generation temperatures around 150 °C. The system employs a concentrator reflector with a concentration ratio of one and vacuum tubes to minimize thermal losses. A detailed thermal model was developed to compute the system's internal heat flows and temperatures. The model was validated using experimental data from a solar collector test bench following international standards. Different system configurations were compared, highlighting a 4% overall efficiency variation due to changes in Heat Pipe quality and a 13% improvement by changing the reflectors' properties.
Keywords
Solar Heat for Industrial Processes, Heat Pipes, Thermodynamics, Low-temperature steam