Investigation of Variable Wind Loads and Shape Accuracy of Reflectors in Parabolic Trough Collector

Concentrated solar power is the technology involving reflectors which reflects the solar radiation and concentrates the radiations onto a receiver which absorbs the solar radiation and rises the temperature of the fluid flowing through it and the fluid is further used for process heating or power generation. Solar parabolic trough is the most established technology among the concentrated solar power technologies. For the optimization of the technology it is important to optimize the parabolic trough collectors from structural point of view as even gravity load is observed to cause a substantial effect on the shape of the reflector. Shape accuracy of the reflector is measured in terms of slope deviation. The slope deviation induced due to gravity and wind loads causes a change in optical and thermal efficiencies. The paper presents the study on pressure distribution at the surface of parabolic trough collector under different wind velocity, angle of attack of wind and orientation of the trough. Further, the pressure values over the trough surface are used to estimate the shape errors for the surface of the trough.