Ray tracing simulations of a novel low concentrator PVT solar collector for low latitudes
2017 (English)In: ISES Solar World Congress 2017 - IEA SHC International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry 2017, Proceedings, International Solar Energy Society , 2017, p. 1068-1079Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
One way to reduce solar collector's production costs is to use concentrators that increase the output per photovoltaic cell. Concentrating collectors re-direct solar radiation that passes through an aperture into an absorber. The current study evaluates electrical performance of symmetric C-PVT solar collectors with a vertical bifacial receiver, through a numerical ray tracing model software, Tonatiuh. Several designs have been analysed, such as the Pure Parabola (PP) and MaReCo CPC geometries, both symmetric. Parameters such as concentration factor, electrical performance, transversal and longitudinal IAM (Incidence Angle Modifier), the influence of optical elements and influence of the length of the reflector in the shadow effect have been studied for different geometries. The simulations were performed for Mogadishu, Somalia and showed good results for the Pure Parabola collector (PPc) annual received energy, 379 and 317 kWh/m2/year for a focal length of 15 e 30 mm, respectively. A symmetrical double MaReCo CPC collector has been simulated with the annual received energy of 315 kWh/m2/year. The addition of the optical elements will decrease the annual received energy of the PPc by around 11.5%, where the optical properties (7.1%) and glass (4.1%) have the biggest impact in the annual received energy. Overall, symmetric geometries proved to be the most suitable geometries for low latitudes applications, being the geometry f1 (focal length of 15 mm) the best one.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
International Solar Energy Society , 2017. p. 1068-1079
Keywords [en]
MaReCo CPC geometry, Pure Parabola collector, Symmetric C-PVT, Tonatiuh, C (programming language), Geometry, Optical properties, Photoelectrochemical cells, Photovoltaic cells, Rhenium compounds, Solar collectors, Solar heating, Solar power generation, Solar radiation, Concentrating collector, Concentration factors, Direct solar radiation, Electrical performance, Ray tracing simulation, Ray tracing
National Category
Energy Systems
Research subject
Sustainable Urban Development
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-27631DOI: 10.18086/swc.2017.18.05Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85050544604ISBN: 978-3-9814659-7-6 (electronic)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hig-27631DiVA, id: diva2:1238370
Conference
SWC 2017: ISES Solar World Congress, SHC 2017: IEA SHC Solar Heating and Cooling Conference 2017; 29 October - 2 November 2017, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2018-08-132018-08-132021-02-17Bibliographically approved