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This paper presents a comprehensive review on solar tracking systems and their potentials in solar energy applications. The paper overviews the design parameters, construction, types and drive system techniques covering different usage application. There are two main solar tracking systems types that depending on their movement degrees of freedoms are single axis solar tracking system and dual axis solar tracking system, which are addressed in the recent studies. The solar tracker drive systems encompassed five categories based on the tracking technologies, namely, active tracking, passive tracking, semi-passive tracking, manual tracking, and chronological tracking. The paper described the various designs and components of the tracking systems. There are 42.57% of the studies discussed and presented single axis tracking systems while 41.58% of these studies to the dual axes tracking systems. In the recent research studies, the most common solar tracker drive type was active tracker by 76.42% usage in applications while in the second most impact type is the chronological solar tracker by 7.55%. Furthermore, in the solar tracking techniques, Azimuth and altitude tracking achieved 16.67% in usage, Horizontal tracking by 16.67%, Azimuth tracking by 10%, and polar tracking by 4.44%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of the design parameters, mathematical techniques and simulations used in the design of parabolic trough solar systems, along with a review on their applications. Recent studies that analyze the deployment of solar parabolic trough collectors (SPTC) in different countries and the operational SPTC plants are also presented and discussed. The paper also discusses the different kinds of software and test methods of solar collectors developed since 1981 which can be distinguished by their particular mathematical models or tracking techniques. In particular, since the mathematical models are especially required for the design, analysis, testing and validation of the systems results as they provide an approximation of the dynamic behavior of the physical properties of the system, they are discussed in depth. The mathematical models allow the calculation of different parameters of the solar parabolic trough system, the angle of inclination of the collecting surface and the forces acting on the system. The validity and experimental validation of the major mathematical models on practical solar parabolic trough concentrators, receivers and other components of different dimension are also reviewed. The paper showed the optical efficiency values are close to 63% and the theoretical peak optical efficiency reached 75%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of tilt angle and azimuth angles in solar energy applications. The paper involves an overview of design parameter, applications, simulations and mathematical techniques covering different usage application. The number of references analysing the tilt angle deployment in the context of the research papers of the different countries currently having operations in solar systems is much more significant. Different kinds of models and test methods of optimum tilt angle in different solar systems have been developed since 1956 which can be distinguished by their particular mathematical models or tracking techniques as shown in the latest researches. The mathematical models allows the calculation of different parameters of the solar radiation, the angle of inclination, and the optimum tilt angle of the collecting surface and the effects acting on the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a feasibility study is carried out in order to investigate the description, working principles of the solar parabolic dish systems worldwide, and their potential use in some countries are given. A study of the system is presented, which able to show the performance of the system and accounting for the main technical aspects of the concentrator, receiver and Stirling engine. The study reviews the parabolic solar dish technologies and the design factors adapted in different applications such as material of the reflector concentrators, shape of the reflector concentrators and the receiver, solar radiation at the concentrator, diameter of the parabolic dish concentrator, sizing the aperture area of concentrator, focal length of the parabolic dish, the focal point diameter, sizing the aperture area of receiver, geometric concentration ratio, and rim angle. In order to identify the optimum design feasible option for installation of the solar dish plants, the technical characteristics of some implemented solar dishes worldwide are presented. The study take into consideration available solar potential and the different designs of solar dishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling and simulation for different parabolic dish Stirling engine designs have been carried out using Matlab®. The effect of solar dish design features and factors such as material of the reflector concentrators, the shape of the reflector concentrators and the receiver, solar radiation at the concentrator, diameter of the parabolic dish concentrator, sizing the aperture area of concentrator, focal Length of the parabolic dish, the focal point diameter, sizing the aperture area of receiver, geometric concentration ratio, and rim angle have been studied. The study provides a theoretical guidance for designing and operating solar parabolic dish Stirling engines system. At Zewail city of Science and Technology, Egypt, for a 10 kW Stirling engine; The maximum solar dish Stirling engine output power estimation is 9707 W at 12:00 PM where the maximum beam solar radiation applied in solar dish concentrator is 990 W/m 2 at 12:00 PM. The performance of engine can be improved by increasing the precision of the engine parts and the heat source efficiency. The engine performance could be further increased if a better receiver working fluid is used. We can conclude that where the best time for heating the fluid and fasting the processing, the time required to heat the receiver to reach the minimum temperature for operating the Solar-powered Stirling engine for different heat transfer fluids; this will lead to more economic solar dish systems. Power output of the solar dish system is one of the most important targets in the design that show effectiveness of the system, and this has achieved when we take into account many factors in the design of the solar dish system. One of these factors is the reflector material of the concentrator and using the results from the Matlab simulation program; where the Polymeric Film, Non Metal reflectors, with a net conversion power of more than 97.07%, still holds the conversion record than the Anod Aluminum reflectors, which has a net conversion power 85.97% with respect to the polished stainless reflectors with a net conversion power 49.52% from the 10 kW Stirling engine. Where the power output differ as 9707, 4952, 8597 W, respectively from the 10 kW Stirling engine. It is shown that there are changes in Stirling power output for different materials, which guide us to select the optimum material, based on the targeted power output and cost. Our target to reach the optimum power that we need it in the design 10 kW power output design as an example from the solar dish Stirling engine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Modeling and simulation for a prototype of the solar-powered Stirling engine. [•] The solar-powered Stirling engine working at the low temperature range. [•] Estimating output power from the solar Stirling engine using Matlab program. [•] Solar radiation simulation program presents a solar radiation data using MATLAB. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]