Search

Solar energy is one of the most important sources of renewable energies, which is widely used in many fields, such as electricity production through direct production of superheated steam based on Linear Fresnel Reflector. This study aims to show the optical and thermal behavior of linear Fresnel solar reflectors field directed to the electricity production in El-Oued region at Algeria. Four days of different weather data have been selected to track the change in solar field performance. Numerical optical modeling has shown that the optical performance of the solar field has reached 53.60 %, while the thermal study based on the numerical solution of the energy balance equations of the receiver tube proved that the thermal efficiency was 37.3 % and the average thermal loss coefficient was limited between 5.72 and 5.98 W/m²K. As for the superheated steam temperature, the lowest value was recorded in December with a value of 501 K. The results obtained are very compelling and encouraging to invest in this low-cost technology.

Ensuring the uniformity of solar irradiance distribution on photovoltaic cells is a major challenge in low-concentrating photovoltaic systems based on a small-scale linear Fresnel reflector. A novel sawtooth V-cavity design method based on an optimization algorithm to achieve uniform irradiance distribution on photovoltaic cells is presented. The reliability of the design was verified using the Monte Carlo ray-tracing method and a laser experiment. A prototype was built using 3D printing technology with a biodegradable green polymer material known as polylactic acid. The new cavity was compared to the standard V-trough cavity, keeping the cavity aperture, reflective surface area, and photovoltaic cell width constant. In addition, the focal height, number of mirrors, mirror width, and mirror spacing were also kept constant; so, the cost of the two configurations was the same from the point of view of the primary reflector system. The new design ensured the uniform distribution of solar irradiation and significantly reduced the height of the cavity. The significant decrease in the height of the proposed cavity has the following advantages: (i) a decrease in the dimensions of the fixed structure of the small-scale linear Fresnel reflector, thus reducing its cost, (ii) a significant decrease in the surface area exposed to wind loads, thus reducing the cost of the fixed structure and secondary system structures, (iii) a reduction in the difficulty of the manufacture, maintenance, and transportation of the cavity's reflecting walls, and (iv) an increase in the cooling surface area, which increases the electrical efficiency of the photovoltaic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is the investigation of the annual performance of a solar power plant with linear Fresnel reflectors in the El-Oued region at Algeria. The solar collectors produce water steam that feeds a turbine to produce electricity. The System Advisor Model (SAM) tool is used for simulation. The mean net daily electricity production rate from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm is 48 MWe, and the respective annual production is 210,336 MWh/year. The mean daily optical efficiency of the solar field was close to 52%, while the mean thermal efficiency was about 39%. The net daily cycle efficiency is found to be 24%. The net capital cost of the examined system is $393 million, and the developer net present value is $47 million; the investor net present value is $15 million, the entire period of capital recovery is 11 years, and the levelized cost of electricity is 0.0382 $/kWh. The solar power plant leads to the yearly avoidance of 420,672 tons carbon dioxide emissions (operational cost savings of $6.1 million). Based on the obtained results, linear Fresnel reflectors can be used to achieve satisfying, energetic, financial, and environmental performance that can lead to sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]