Solar collectors are devices that capture heat from the sun. Solar collectors are commonly used for solar hotwater heating. Solar collectors are also useful for power generation. Here are some examples of solar collectors. They include Reflective bowl shaped arrays and parabolic trough plants.
Solar collectors that have expired
The Transpired Solar Collector system is a simple and effective way to harness the power of solar radiation. This technology is used in North America for more than 20 years. It has a very short payback period and is highly efficient in thermal efficiency. It works by capturing and delivering heat from the sun through a single sheet made of perforated steel. Kimpton Energy Solutions designed and installed numerous systems that are both economical and effective.
Plants for parabolic trough
To produce solar thermal energy, parabolic trough solar cells are used. They provide a better solution than evacuated tubes to solar thermal energy generation. In this study, parabolic trough collectors are used in a solar thermal energy production plant designed for Saudi Arabia. This plant has been designed to exploit the country's enormous solar irradiation capacity. Simulations show that using a parabolic trough as a pre-heating unit in a power cycle results in a 23% power generation rate and a 6.5% efficiency increase.
Reflective bowl-shaped arrays
Devices used for solar energy collection include reflective bowl-shaped solar collector arrays. These arrays have a first and second support portion, each supporting at least one primary reflective element and the other supporting a photovoltaic cells. Each reflector is equipped with a first axis as well as a second, which is parallel to that of the first. The reflector is arranged to focus radiation incident thereon to a focus point. The second support section is designed to receive radiation incident on both the first and second dimensions.
Concentrating systems
Concentrating solar collectors use mirrors to focus the sun's radiation onto receivers. These collectors have multiple reflections and multiple apertures, which allow the sun's energy to reach the absorber surface. There are several types of absorber geometries for concentrating collectors. To maximize the collectors' effectiveness, both types must have a sufficient gap between the receiver and reflector.
Flat-plate collectors
Flat-plate solar collectors have high performance and long maintenance-free lifetimes. To achieve maximum performance, their design must be carefully considered.
Closed loop collectors
Closed-loop collectors are an option for heating indoor pools. The solar collectors are connected via a closed loop system that allows water to flow to a storage container. The water passes through the solar collectors and turns into steam. This system is ideal for heating domestic hot-water and heating swimming pools that are open all year.
Unglazed collectors
They are an alternative to heating and cooling buildings with unglazed solar collectors. These collectors are made of unglazed aluminum plates covered with tubing. The collector is mounted to a building's roof and is designed to heat ambient air or recirculated building air. They are best at flows of 4-8 CFM/square foot.