Roof Integrated Mini-Parabolic Solar Collectors. Comparison Between Simulation and Experimental Results

ABSTRACT

Concentrating solar collectors systems and especially the mini Parabolic solar reflecting systems have been one of the main research topics due to their ability for integration into the building structure. In the present work the mini parabolic collector was considered in the East - West orientation with such a slope so that the suns vector impinging normal to the parabola during the day. The behavior of the thermal efficiency for various values of small concentrating ratios and mass flow rate was studied. Data input such as solar radiation (direct and diffuse) and temperature ambient were obtained by the meteorological station of R.E.S. Laboratory in the Technological Educational Institute of Patras. The fluid inlet and outlet temperatures in the absorber, the total solar radiation incident on the aperture surface, the ambient temperature and the fluid flow measurements were managed using a data logging system. The paper presents a comparison between theoretical and experimental results.

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