Some modifications to the design of a parabolic solar concentrator for construction in Lesotho and their effects on power production

Abstract

An experimental study was performed to test the effectiveness of design modifications terms of efficiency and power production in an existing parabolic solar concentrator. The proposed modifications included limiting the number of parabolic ribs to be constructed to two, using struts of slotted angle iron to approximate a continuous parabolic trough, and increasing the thickness of the mirrored sheet metal to be formed to 0.035". A quarter-scale model of the system was constructed using materials and tools indigenous to Lesotho. The apparatus was tested for its ability to raise the temperature of a known amount of water in a specified amount of time. Results show that the system was capable of creating steam; however, the water in the system only reached an internal temperature of 81⁰C as opposed to the theoretical value of 467.01⁰C, which yields an error of 82.7%.