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In this paper, a numerical investigation of thermal and thermodynamic performance of a receiver for a parabolic trough solar collector with perforated plate inserts is presented. The analysis was carried out for different perforated plate geometrical parameters including dimensionless plate orientation angle, the dimensionless plate spacing, and the dimensionless plate diameter. The Reynolds number varies in the range 1.02 × 10 4 ⩽ Re ⩽ 7.38 × 10 5 depending on the heat transfer fluid temperature. The fluid temperatures used are 400 K, 500 K, 600 K and 650 K. The porosity of the plate was fixed at 0.65. The study shows that, for a given value of insert orientation, insert spacing and insert size, there is a range of Reynolds numbers for which the thermal performance of the receiver improves with the use of perforated plate inserts. In this range, the modified thermal efficiency increases between 1.2% and 8%. The thermodynamic performance of the receiver due to inclusion of perforated plate inserts is shown to improve for flow rates lower than 0.01205 m 3 /s. Receiver temperature gradients are shown to reduce with the use of inserts. Correlations for Nusselt number and friction factor were also derived and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper presents an analysis of thermodynamic losses in thermal reservoirs due to irreversible heat transfer and frictional effects. The focus is upon applications to large-scale electricity storage for which it is the loss in availability (or exergy) that is most relevant. Accordingly, results are presented as loss coefficients which are defined as the fractional loss of the entering availability. Only losses stemming from irreversibility are considered – heat losses to the surroundings are not included in the analysis. A number of simplifying assumptions have been adopted, but the results nonetheless clearly demonstrate the dependence of the losses on operating temperatures, reservoir geometry and mode of operation, and point the way towards methods of optimisation. Estimates for a typical installation suggest that the losses are not insignificant, particularly for one-off charge and discharge (i.e., for long-term storage), but remain acceptable for cyclic operation, so as to make the use of thermal reservoirs attractive for electricity storage schemes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]