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Thermal evaluation of geometrical innovations in concentric and eccentric evacuated single and double solar collectors

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Abstract

In this study, an experimental and numerical investigation of eight geometrical configurations of evacuated tube solar collectors was conducted. The configurations were tested simultaneously in outdoor installation under the same operational conditions. Parameters such as collector eccentricity, solar concentration, vacuum, collector absorber, and cover tube materials were investigated. The numerical model developed in MATLAB was validated with experimental results. The results show that the eccentricity and the absorptivity of the material of the absorber are the parameters that have the highest influence on the collector performance. Using reflective film in the eccentric solar collector configurations can increase efficiency by 33%. The vacuum presented an efficiency increase variation between 1 and 4% in the eccentric tube collectors. For the concentric collectors configurations, the use of the vacuum between the tubes can reach an increase of 9% in its performance. The eccentricity of the collector using reflective film and vacuum allows an effective solar concentration in the collector absorber and presents a 26% higher efficiency when compared with the concentric collector. The numerical results show that Makrolon can used as a sub for the usual glass cover, and the selection of the solar absorption for the absorber has the highest impact on the collector efficiency. Using steel black chrome for the absorber reached a maximum efficiency of 82%. These results can be used to support the design of future solar collectors.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the BIOFABRIS Laboratory from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the University of Campinas for providing the 3D-printed tube seals off the collector versions.

Funding

The authors wish to thank the support from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Maranhão (Fapema) for the Ph.D. [Grant No. BD-08373/17].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, State University of Campinas, Mendeleiev Street, 200, Cidade Universitária “Zeferino Vaz”, Barão Geraldo, Campinas, SP, 13083-860, Brazil

    Mavd P. R. Teles, Fatima A. M. Lino, Janayna Rocha Silva & Kamal A. R. Ismail

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of Maranhao, Cidade Universitária Paulo VI – Lourenço Vieira da Silva Avenue, 1,000, São Luís, MA, 65081-400, Brazil

    Claudia Rosa do Espirito Santo Nóbrega

Authors
  1. Mavd P. R. Teles
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  2. Fatima A. M. Lino
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  3. Janayna Rocha Silva
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  4. Claudia Rosa do Espirito Santo Nóbrega
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  5. Kamal A. R. Ismail
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Contributions

MPRT contributed to conceptualization, methodology, writing—original draft, and writing—review and editing, investigation. JRScontributed to writing—original draft and methodology. FAML contributed to writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, and methodology. CRESN contributed to writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, and methodology. KARI contributed to conceptualization, methodology, writing—review and editing, and funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Claudia Rosa do Espirito Santo Nóbrega.

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Technical Editor: Ahmad Arabkoohsar.

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Teles, M.P.R., Lino, F.A.M., Silva, J.R. et al. Thermal evaluation of geometrical innovations in concentric and eccentric evacuated single and double solar collectors. J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 46, 86 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-023-04665-1

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