Numerical Simulation of Thermal Performances of a solar PTC receiver using TRNSYS software

Abstract

Solar energy is a key renewable energy source and the most abundant energy source on the globe. Solar energy can be converted into electric energy by using two different processes: by means of photovoltaic (PV) conversion and the thermodynamic cycles. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is viewed as one of the most promising alternatives in the field of solar energy utilization. The objective of this paper is to investigate numerically the thermal performance of a solar Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC). The effect of some design and operation parameters, which included the mass flow rate and the natureof  HTFon thermal performance of the solar PTC were analyzed.

Keywords: Solar PTC receiver;thermal performance; solar power; TRNSYS.