Abstract:
The paper presents a computer modelling and experimental validation for the thermodynamic performance of parabolic trough
solar collectors (PTSC) used in a micro-combined cooling,e heating and power (mCCHP) system. The thermal efficiency, fluid
outlet temperature, heat gain and heat and optical losses of the collector are calculated depending on the collector geometry,
optical properties, fluid properties, fluid inlet temperature and flow rate, solar insolation, wind speed and ambient temperature.
The experiments consisted of thermal measurements and image recordings which allowed the exploring of the heat transfer
phenomenon that determines thermal and optical losses and therefore the collector’s thermodynamic performance/. These results
are useful in the design of mCCHP system. Knowing the heat supplied by the Stirling engine and the PTSC allows us to size the
auxiliary heating boiler.