Optical Performance of a Uniform Solar Concentrator With a Rectangular Tube Absorber

This paper presents a uniform solar concentrator with a rectangular tube absorber (USC-RT). A mathematical model for the reflector profile of a USC-RT is developed, solved and validated. An optical model is established for the energy conversion process of a USC-RT. Annual energy simulation based on the SMARTS model is processed for a USC-RT with an aperture area of 10 m2. The rotation angle and the slope angle of the USC-RT are optimized. The results show that the optimum rotate angle of the USC-RT is 0°which means that the collector is orientated with its long axis in the north-south direction. The optimum slope angle and optimum optical efficiency are obtained for the USC-RT in different adjustment modes. The average value of the optimal annual total optical efficiency of the USC-RT in different latitudes is 92.0%, 96.8% and 98.1%, respectively, when the collector slope angle is fixed, adjusted one time each quarter, and adjusted one time each month. The annual total optical efficiency of the USC-RT with the optimal combination of rotate angle and slope angle is significantly higher than that of the horizontally east-west orientated USC-RT, and is also significantly higher than that of the horizontally north-south orientated USC-RT in the high latitudes. © 2019, Science Press. All right reserved.