Thermal performance enhancement of a novel receiver for parabolic trough solar collector

The parabolic trough solar collector stands out as the most advanced method for harnessing concentrating solar power. However, its efficiency is significantly affected by the circumferential temperature gradient brought on by uneven heat flux distribution around the receiver. This leads to thermal stress and potential deformation of the receiver. To address this issue, this study presents an innovative parabolic trough solar receiver design featuring fins and a rod insert to enhance the system’s thermal performance. Computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed in ANSYS Fluent to evaluate different inlet velocities, with Therminol VP-1 as the heat transfer fluid. The model’s accuracy was confirmed through validation against experimental data and established theoretical correlations from the literature. The results indicated that the proposed configuration substantially enhances heat transfer performance compared to the conventional receiver. The Nusselt number increased by 49.7%, while the circumferential temperature gradient was reduced by 41.2%. These improvements demonstrate the effectiveness of the novel receiver in enhancing fluid mixing and heat transfer, which significantly lowers temperature gradients and mitigates thermal stresses, ultimately improving the durability and performance of parabolic trough solar collector systems. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.