International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Subham Samal, Sachin Gouda, Sanjeeb Kumar Das, Raja Gouda, Sanjay Kumar Raj
Abstract: The growing demand for sustainable and renewable energy sources has led to significant interest in solar thermal technologies. This project focuses on the performance analysis of a solar parabolic trough collector (PTC), a concentrated solar power (CSP) system known for its efficiency in harnessing solar energy. Both theoretical and experimental evaluations were conducted under varying operational and environmental conditions. Key parameters such as solar irradiance, ambient temperature, heat transfer fluid (HTF) temperature, and flow rate were monitored to assess thermal performance. The analysis considered the influence of design elements such as reflector curvature, receiver tube characteristics, and tracking accuracy. The results showed that performance is highly influenced by solar intensity and fluid flow rate, with optimal efficiency observed during peak sunlight hours. This study provides insight into enhancing the operational parameters and system design of PTCs to improve solar thermal energy capture for practical applications.
