Heat transfer model of a trough compound parabolic reflector used in a linear Fresnel solar field

This work falls within the framework of CRAMS I project funded by IRESEN (Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energy). Its principal objective is to develop a low cost solar field based on a new generation of Fresnel collectors. To attempt this goal, we have developed a code package for scientific computing in order to help in design of the desired solar field. This numerical tool is able to simulate the optical behavior of a Fresnel solar field as well as the quantification of heat loses of the system. In this paper, a focus is given on modeling heat transfer phenomena occurring inside a trough-Compound Parabolic Collector (CPC). For checking numerical errors and the accuracy of the code results, a set of verification tests were performed. It concerns the application of the method of manufactured solutions and code-to-code verification processes. The results obtained show that our model predicts with good accuracy the thermal performances of the receiver.