DISEÑO DE COLECTORES CILINDRO- PARABÓLICOS. Camino hacia la viabilidad de la energía termosolar

Abstract

This article describes a collaborative

activity between faculty members from the

Mechanical Engineering Department of the

University of Oviedo and engineers from

the TERMOPOWER company to develop a

prototype of a parabolic trough that allowed

the company to acquire the know-how

required for the industrial development of

this type of equipment that allows them to

enter the solar market, with a design based

on technical and economic criteria.

It identifi es all the critical design elements,

the interception factor and its infl uence on

the parabolic trough´s effi ciency. We describe

the loads to be considered, wind speed,

deformation criteria and methodology used.

This paper shows how simulation software, 3D

modeling and fi nite element calculation play

a crucial role nowadays in looking for optimal

design. It also shows how the interception

factor is affected by refl ector misalignment or

tracking errors.