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Simulation and Optimization of a Mini Compound Parabolic Collector with a Coaxial Flow System

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The Role of Exergy in Energy and the Environment

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Abstract

In this chapter, a mini-compound parabolic collector with a coaxial flow evacuated tube was investigated and analyzed. The concentrator was designed optimally for zero incident angles while the collector was tested considering that solar radiation falls perpendicular on the aperture. The collector’s thermal efficiency was examined first, and the convection regime both at the inner (delivery) tube and at the annuli region was calculated and compared to respective theoretical approaches. Furthermore, the temperature fields of the working medium, the absorber, and the glass envelope were determined and presented, while the inner diameter of the delivery tube was modified by taking several different values considering that the absorber surface is directly exposed on the environment. The results revealed that the possible increment on the thermal performance going from the worst to the best diameter scenario is greater than 5.7%. The specific collector was designed and simulated in Solidworks.

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Korres, D.N., Tzivanidis, C. (2018). Simulation and Optimization of a Mini Compound Parabolic Collector with a Coaxial Flow System. In: Nižetić, S., Papadopoulos, A. (eds) The Role of Exergy in Energy and the Environment. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89845-2_47

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89845-2_47

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-89844-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-89845-2

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

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