Amity University, Sector-125, Noida 201313, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author email: rprakash@amity.edu

Solar collector in the shape of a parabolic mirror reflects the incident solar energy on the longitudinal axis of the solar collector. This line is called the focal axis of the parabolic collector. Unlike in flat plate collectors which have absorbent coatings and where the solar radiation is absorbed and distributed uniformly in the flat plate area, parabolic collectors concentrate the radiation in the focal axis of the collector. This major difference in the geometrical feature of the parabolic collectors helps in a large way. This feature enables the parabolic collectors to achieve high outlet temperatures of the working fluids, sometimes 120oC or as high as 140oC. This feature allows the parabolic concentrators to be integrated with solar thermal systems. The present work intends to review contemporary research work undertaken on parabolic trough type solar collectors. The present study has classified various investigations on the basis of collection of the data like direct experimentation as well as numeration methods and by using simulation methods on collectors and it is inferred that there is a potential for experimenting with nano-fluids in parabolic trough solar collectors and validating the obtained data with simulation results.

Parabolic Trough, Simulation, Solar Collector, optical efficiency, thermal efficiency

Received: Jan 22, 2018
Revised: Feb 9, 2018
Accepted: Feb 19, 2018
Published on: April 20, 2018
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.29198/ejs1805
European Journal of Sciences (EJS), vol. 1, no. 1, pp.43-53

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