article · Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
A newly designed parabolic trough collector has been developed and evaluated for low-temperature water heating. The system features a design that facilitates easy transport, assembly, and modification of geometric dimensions, as well as straightforward replacement of the receiver pipe, reflector sheet, and heat transfer fluid. Field testing evaluated three configurations: manual tracking without a glass cover, manual tracking with a glass cover, and automatic tracking without a glass cover. The automatic tracking setup achieved the highest average experimental efficiency at 14.94 percent, compared to 13.50 percent for the manual glass-covered setup and 11.83 percent for the basic manual setup. Techno-economic calculations show heating costs between 0.3 and 0.4 Indian rupees per kilogram of water, yielding estimated payback periods between four and five years depending on the chosen configuration.
Water heating requires substantial energy, and identifying low-cost solar thermal alternatives can reduce reliance on conventional fuels. This work demonstrates a flexible, easily serviceable solar collector design capable of heating water at modest costs. The findings provide measurable benchmarks on thermal performance and financial payback periods for practical, low-temperature heating systems.
The collector is applied and physically tested for low-temperature water heating applications. Its modular design allows easy maintenance, component replacement, and transport, which could suit users seeking low-cost domestic or commercial water heating. With documented heating costs of 0.3 to 0.4 Indian rupees per kilogram and payback periods between four and five years, the prototype shows promising operational feasibility, though real-world deployment would require broader scaling beyond localized field trials.
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The primary objective of this experimentation is to develop and evaluate indigenous PTC capable of producing hot water for low-temperature applications. A new parabolic trough collector is designed; which is easy to accumulate and transport. It allows the easy replacement of receiver pipe, reflector sheet, and heat transfer fluid. The modern design also allows changing the trough's geometrical dimensions. The design has provision for attaching an automatic tracking system and glass cover. This Novel PTC is tested with three different attachments, viz. Manual tracking without glass cover, Manual tracking with glass clover and Automatic tracking without glass cover. Experimental, Optical and Theoretical efficiencies calculated for all three PTC systems. Average experimental efficiency of PTC with Manual tracking, Manual tracking with a Glass cover and Automatic tracking is 11.83%, 13.50%, and 14.94 % respectively. Brief, economic analysis carried out for all three PTC systems. Cost of water heating per kg for manual tracking PTC system is only 0.3/- INR, and for Manual tracking with a Glass cover and Automatic tracking, it is equivalent to 0.4/- INR. The payback period for all is equivalent to 4 years for a PTC system for manual tracking and for PTC systems of Manual tracking with a Glass cover and Automatic tracking it is found equivalent to 5 years. Experimentation conducted in March 2020 at the specific location in Godhra, Gujarat, India.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.csite.2021.100978
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