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CFD Techniques and Thermo-Mechanics Applications pp 53–64Cite as

CFD Modeling of a Parabolic Trough Receiver of Different Cross Section Shapes

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Abstract

In this paper, the parabolic trough collector (PTC) is numerically examined with the aim to choose the most appropriate receiver tube configuration. In order to carry out this study, the adopted method comprises two major steps. In the first step, the concentrated solar heat flux densities in a focal zone are calculated by SOLTRACE software. In the second step, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to analyze and optimize the thermal performance of the tube receiver. The calculated heat flux densities by the SOLTRACE software are used as heat flux wall boundary conditions for the receiver tube. The effect of the absorber tube cross section shape on the performance of the PTC system is analyzed. Triangular-, rectangular-, and circular-shaped tubes are tested and results are compared.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Thermal and Thermodynamics in Industrial Processes, National Engineering School of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

    Anissa Ghomrassi & Hatem Mhiri

  2. IUSTI, UMR CNRS 6595, Technopole de Chateau-Gombert, Paris, France

    Philippe Bournot

Authors
  1. Anissa Ghomrassi
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  2. Hatem Mhiri
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  3. Philippe Bournot
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anissa Ghomrassi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National School of Engineers of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

    Zied Driss

  2. Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Constantine 1, Constantine, Algeria

    Brahim Necib

  3. School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China

    Hao-Chun Zhang

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Ghomrassi, A., Mhiri, H., Bournot, P. (2018). CFD Modeling of a Parabolic Trough Receiver of Different Cross Section Shapes. In: Driss, Z., Necib, B., Zhang, HC. (eds) CFD Techniques and Thermo-Mechanics Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70945-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70945-1_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-70944-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-70945-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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