Computational comparison and experimental performance analysis on heat pipes using concentrating solar parabolic trough collector

Abstract

The heat pipes in solar applications uses are important and it is significantly growing nowadays. Capable of meeting the world’s challenges with a threat to the climate; a shortage of conventional energy sources, usually fossil fuels, high electricity costs, and it is inexpensive; therefore, the renewable energy of solar energy is an excellent source, reaching total amount of energy is 34,00,000 EJ in each year, all over the world. This is between 7000 and 8000 times the annual global primary energy consumption. Thereby, a Concentrating Solar Parabolic Trough Collector is suggested in this paper, which can be used to analyze the performance of various heat pipes. Using solar parabolic trough collector to analyze the performance of different heat pipes rather than considering the supply of electric power input. Using a parabolic trough collector that concentrates solar energy on an evacuated tube heat pipe, which converts radiation energy into electrical energy heat, the experimental work demonstrates the use of solar energy. Condensers, evaporators, and three heat pipes consisting of aluminum galvanized iron, and stainless steel materials are the main components. A porous wick structure and an ammonia solution-filled working fluid consist of each heat pipe. Continuously recirculating the working fluid through temperature variation. The readings are taken using connected thermocouples on three heat pipes by continuously varying the mass flow rate. The vacuum pressure gauge to maintain the heat pipes generates the vacuum inside space. At various mass flow rates of heated water from the parabolic trough collector, experimentation was also performed. The result of this study calculates the mass flow rate at the end of the process of the different heat pipes used here. Furthermore, different inclinations are estimated in a variety of situations, such as at temperatures of 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°. In the experimental analysis, outlet temperatures of heat pipes are measured and the temperature distribution contours are evaluated using the analysis of computational fluid dynamics.

Keywords

concentrated solar parabolic trough collector heat pipe heat transfer thermocouple thermometer mass flow rates computational fluid dynamics

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