Article
Thermodynamics
Shaobing Wu, Runsheng Tang, Changmei Wang
Summary: The numerical algorithm proposed for calculating the intercept factors of a parabolic trough solar collector was found to provide quick and convenient results, which are accurate for various types of secondary reflection concentrators.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wattana Ratismith, Dilawer Ali, John S. Briggs
Summary: The study found that designing a simple semi-circular cross-section non-tracking solar concentrator trough can operate efficiently under diffuse irradiation from all angles during daylight hours, with clear advantages and potential power output gain of 1.7 times.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Cristina Prieto, Francisco Javier Pino, Luisa F. Cabeza
Summary: This study evaluates the technoeconomic potential of a CSP plant with high temperature concrete as TES system compared to the standard commercial molten salts system, and finds that the molten salt system performs better than the high temperature concrete configuration in general conditions.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Georgios E. Arnaoutakis, Dimitris Al. Katsaprakakis, Dimitris G. Christakis
Summary: This paper investigates the potential of two concentrating solar power technologies, central power towers and parabolic trough collectors, in the same plant configuration through dynamic modeling. The results show that the configuration of a power tower and parabolic trough collectors has a more stable power profile and higher capacity factor compared to standalone plants based on a single technology.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Paloma Martinez-Merino, Patrice Estelle, Rodrigo Alcantara, Ivan Carrillo-Berdugo, Javier Navas
Summary: Nanofluids, with improved thermophysical properties compared to conventional heat transfer fluids, are attractive for research areas like solar energy. In this study, nanofluids based on WS2 nanosheets were prepared from thermal oil, and the use of surfactants improved the dispersion stability. Promising results were observed in terms of thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient for these nanofluids.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Zhenghua Rao, Cunyue Peng, Yaqiong Wang, Yitao Wang, Gang Liu, Shengming Liao
Summary: A dynamic thermodynamics model was developed to simulate the response behaviors of CO2-TRC in trough CSP systems, showing that cloud thickness and cover duration have different impacts on system performance, with the recovery time for the regenerative system potentially being three times longer than that for the simple system.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Krzysztof Sornek, Maciej Zoladek, Karolina Papis-Fraczek, Maciej Szram, Mariusz Filipowicz
Summary: The electricity generation from photovoltaic systems has experienced significant growth over the past two decades. The use of concentrating solar power collectors is an interesting trend in solar radiation conversion. This paper presents experimental works on a micro-scale parabolic-through solar concentrator equipped with monocrystalline silicon solar cells. Results show that concentrated sunlight can enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic solar cells by approximately 29% compared to direct sunlight. This study demonstrates the justification for using solar radiation concentrators in solar installations, even with low concentration ratio factors.
Article
Thermodynamics
Antonio Sanda, Sara L. Moya, Loreto Valenzuela, Roger Cundapi
Summary: The study presents a method involving a 3D HCE - 1D HTF model to accurately calculate the thermal distribution of the receiver, with lower computational cost and sufficient accuracy.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Anish Malan, K. Ravi Kumar
Summary: This study provides a critical summary of various raytracing techniques to investigate the optical and thermal performance of the parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC). It examines the journey of flux distribution studies, different methods like analytical approach, measurements techniques, and modeling software, with a focus on the impact of various parameters on the flux distribution. The study also suggests numerical studies for future research in this domain.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Natraj, K. S. Reddy
Summary: Solar parabolic trough collectors are a mature technology, but improvements in structural stability and accuracy of reflectors and receivers are necessary. This study investigates the combined effect of thermo-structural instability on collector performance. Results show a decrease in optical efficiency and significant loss due to bending and deflection in the reflector and receiver. This research will benefit the design and monitoring of trough collectors.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mustafa J. Al-Dulaimi, Karima E. Amori
Summary: This study numerically and theoretically investigates the optical and thermal performance of a parabolic trough collector PTC system. The results show that the best optical design is the channel receiver with an intercept factor of 84%, while the worst is the elliptical receiver with an intercept factor of 70%. Thermally, the best design is the elliptical receiver with an average thermal efficiency of 90%, while the worst is the triangular receiver with an average thermal efficiency of 83%.
ARABIAN JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Rohit Goyal, K. S. Reddy
Summary: Parabolic trough collector is a widely used and efficient technology for generating solar thermal power. The use of supercritical CO2 as a heat transfer fluid shows great potential for improving its efficiency. A numerical thermal model and optical analysis were used to analyze the entropy generated by s-CO2 in a parabolic trough collector and determine the optimal operating conditions.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Faisal Masood, Nursyarizal Bin Mohd Nor, Perumal Nallagownden, Irraivan Elamvazuthi, Rahman Saidur, Mohammad Azad Alam, Javed Akhter, Mohammad Yusuf, Mubbashar Mehmood, Mujahid Ali
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive review of the historical and recent developments of compound parabolic concentrating (CPC)-based hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) systems. The review focuses on the heat extraction mechanisms and commonly used application areas of CPC-PVT systems. The outputs of CPC-PVT systems are generally found to be superior to their counterparts without CPCs, making them a promising solution for rooftop and building facade integrated applications.
Article
Energy & Fuels
L. G. Redelinghuys, C. McGregor
Summary: This study examines the application of a Carnot battery in a conventional parabolic trough concentrating solar power plant. The results show that under certain conditions, imported renewable energy is stored at the expense of solar thermal energy, leading to unnecessary overcharging of the storage. The study also finds that smaller-sized parabolic trough solar fields can reduce and delay solar thermal curtailment caused by heater integration.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Paloma Martinez-Merino, Rodrigo Alcantara, Pedro Gomez-Larran, Ivan Carrillo-Berdugo, Javier Navas
Summary: Concentrating solar power, as an alternative to conventional polluting energy sources, is being studied extensively. This study proposes the use of nanofluids based on spherical molybdenum disulphide nanoparticles as the heat transfer fluid in parabolic trough solar collectors (PTCs) to improve the thermal efficiency of concentrating solar power plants. Experimental results show that the nanofluids significantly enhance the thermal efficiency and bring additional advantages such as reduced pumping power and elimination of selective coatings on absorber tubes.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Selva Calixto, Marco Cozzini, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: This paper models an existing neutral-temperature district heating network in Ospitaletto, Italy, with industrial waste heat and aquifer wells as heat sources. Two models, a detailed one and an approximate one, are used to analyze the network with different levels of information and execution times, suitable for different purposes.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Gianluca Valenti, Aldo Bischi, Stefano Campanari, Paolo Silva, Antonino Ravida, Ennio Macchi
Summary: Experimental and numerical study of a small-size commercial Stirling unit in cycling operations showed that an optimized operating strategy led to a significant reduction of daily startups and energy savings.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Alberto Dolara, Giulia di Fazio, Sonia Leva, Giampaolo Manzolini, Riccardo Simonetti, Andrea Terenzi
Summary: Organic photovoltaic modules have advantages over conventional PV technologies, but their performance under real environmental conditions still lags behind silicon-based modules.
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Simone Polimeni, Alfredo Nespoli, Sonia Leva, Gianluca Valenti, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: This paper presents a two-layer hierarchical energy management system for islanded photovoltaic microgrids, evaluating optimal unit commitment based on photovoltaic forecasts and managing power sharing in real time to achieve optimal management. Experimental study demonstrates the capability of the proposed system to operate an islanded microgrid in safe conditions, even with inaccurate day-ahead photovoltaic forecasts.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Alberto Dolara, Sonia Leva, Giampaolo Manzolini, Riccardo Simonetti, Iacopo Trattenero
Summary: Organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells are an emerging and promising solution for low-cost clean energy production, with significant advantages over conventional PV technologies. However, the commercialization of this technology has been hindered by relatively low efficiencies, poor long-term stability, and thermal issues.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Flavia Basile, Lorenzo Pilotti, Marco Ugolini, Giovanni Lozza, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: This paper applies an innovative optimization methodology to study the supply chain of biomethanol production in Sweden. The research considers the collection and transportation of biomass as well as the size of the biorefinery plant. The results show that the size of the biodiesel plants limits the collection of forestry residues. The study also finds that the low carbon intensity of Swedish electricity contributes to the low CO2 emissions of biomethanol.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marco Ugolini, Lucia Recchia, Giulio Guandalini, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: This paper introduces an innovative methodology for identifying biomass potentials in four European regions, particularly focusing on Central Europe and the Mediterranean region which have the highest bioeconomic potentials for cereal straw. The methodology uses a scoring procedure based on carbon emission avoidance, efficient resource exploitation and sustainability indexes to categorize and prioritize biomass supply chains for innovative technologies in commercial application.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Giancarlo Gentile, Giovanni Picotti, Marco Binotti, Michael E. Cholette, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: This paper proposes a methodology for the dynamic thermal analysis of solar tower external receivers and compares three materials for enhanced energy solutions. The study evaluates the fatigue and creep damage of receiver panels under real weather conditions, showing that creep has a greater impact on the lifetime of the receivers than fatigue.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michele Ongis, Gioele Di Marcoberardino, Mattia Baiguini, Fausto Gallucci, Marco Binotti
Summary: Hydrogen can support decarbonization in various sectors, reducing air pollution. Current low-carbon hydrogen production is less than 0.7% of global production. Membrane reactor technology has the potential to efficiently convert biogas into green hydrogen, and a mathematical model is used to provide guidelines for designing and operating the reactor in off-design conditions.
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Igor Matteo Carraretto, Vincenzo Ruzzi, Filippo Lodigiani, Rosemary Colciaghi, Riccardo Simonetti, Stefano Buzzaccaro, Luca Molinaroli, Luigi Pietro Maria Colombo, Roberto Piazza, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: Forward osmosis is a promising desalination method that requires a detailed characterization of the thermo-physical properties of the draw agent for accurate and realistic system performance predictions.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ettore Morosini, Enrico Villa, Guglielmo Quadrio, Marco Binotti, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: In this work, three innovative CO2-based binary mixtures (CO2 + C6F6, CO2 + C2H3N and CO2 + C4F8) are compared as working fluids for closed power cycles in CSP plants. The study finds that these mixtures can achieve higher cycle efficiencies than sCO2 cycles at minimum temperatures above 50 degrees C. The adoption of indirect storage systems is considered a viable solution for high temperature solar plants, with the three mixtures allowing for a reduction in LCOE (up to 10 $/MWh) and high capacity factors (above 70%) for a specific location.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Michele Doninelli, Ettore Morosini, Giancarlo Gentile, Lorenza Putelli, Gioele Di Marcoberardino, Marco Binotti, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: This work analyzes the integration of concentrated solar power plants with thermal desalination plants using innovative sCO2 cycles and transcritical CO2-based mixtures cycles. The proposed cogeneration plants efficiently utilize heat rejected from the power cycles for desalination, resulting in significant energy savings. Detailed models for the solar field and receiver are adopted, and the seawater desalination plant shows a thermal consumption ranging from 180 to 140 kWh/m3. The cogenerative plants' performances are compared in terms of the levelized cost of electricity and water, with the innovative mixture cycles having a slight advantage.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Lukas Koester, Atse Louwen, Sascha Lindig, Giampaolo Manzolini, David Moser
Summary: Daylight photoluminescence (DPL) is a novel imaging technique used for photovoltaic system inspection. This study presents a DPL-ready inverter that allows switching between different operating points of connected PV modules. An algorithm is developed to identify operating point switches in field images. The research also investigates the quantification of luminescence signal intensity in DPL images and explores its application in performance loss analysis.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Cody B. Anderson, Giovanni Picotti, Michael E. Cholette, Bruce Leslie, Theodore A. Steinberg, Giampaolo Manzolini
Summary: This study presents a novel methodology for characterizing and predicting soiling losses in concentrated solar power operations. It found that the soiling rate is influenced by seasons and the position of heliostats, and analyzed the cost composition and the impact of different cleaning strategies on the total cleaning cost.
Proceedings Paper
Energy & Fuels
Dario Alfani, Ty Neises, Marco Astolfi, Marco Binotti, Paolo Silva
Summary: This study provides a preliminary techno-economic analysis of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants with sCO2 power blocks. It compares different cycle configurations and identifies the recompressed cycle with intercooling as the most promising configuration in terms of efficiency and investment cost. The study also highlights the impact of turbomachinery isentropic efficiencies on the techno-economic analysis and presents the cost breakdown of the sCO2 power block.
SOLARPACES 2020 - 26TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER AND CHEMICAL ENERGY SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Siddharth Sradhasagar, Omkar Subhasish Khuntia, Srikanta Biswal, Sougat Purohit, Amritendu Roy
Summary: In this study, machine learning models were developed to predict the bandgap and its character of double perovskite materials, with LGBMRegressor and XGBClassifier models identified as the best predictors. These models were further employed to predict the bandgap of novel bismuth-based transition metal oxide double perovskites, showing high accuracy, especially in the range of 1.2-1.8 eV.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wei Shuai, Haoran Xu, Baoyang Luo, Yihui Huang, Dong Chen, Peiwang Zhu, Gang Xiao
Summary: In this study, a hybrid model based on numerical simulation and deep learning is proposed for the optimization and operation of solar receivers. By applying the model to different application scenarios and considering multiple performance objectives, small errors are achieved and optimal structure parameters and heliostat scales are identified. This approach is not only applicable to gas turbines but also heating systems.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mubashar Ali, Zunaira Bibi, M. W. Younis, Muhammad Mubashir, Muqaddas Iqbal, Muhammad Usman Ali, Muhammad Asif Iqbal
Summary: This study investigates the structural, mechanical, and optoelectronic properties of the BaCuF3 fluoroperovskite using the first-principles modelling approach. The stability and characteristics of different cubic structures of BaCuF3 are evaluated, and the alpha-BaCuF3 and beta-BaCuF3 compounds are found to be mechanically stable with favorable optical properties for solar cells and high-frequency UV applications.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Dong Le Khac, Shahariar Chowdhury, Asmaa Soheil Najm, Montri Luengchavanon, Araa mebdir Holi, Mohammad Shah Jamal, Chin Hua Chia, Kuaanan Techato, Vidhya Selvanathan
Summary: A novel recycling system is proposed in this study to decompose and reclaim the constituent materials of organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By utilizing a one-step solution process extraction approach, the chemical composition of each layer is successfully preserved, enabling their potential reuse. The proposed recycling technique helps mitigate pollution risks, minimize waste generation, and reduce recycling costs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Peijie Lin, Feng Guo, Xiaoyang Lu, Qianying Zheng, Shuying Cheng, Yaohai Lin, Zhicong Chen, Lijun Wu, Zhuang Qian
Summary: This paper proposes an open-set fault diagnosis model for PV arrays based on 1D VoVNet-SVDD. The model accurately diagnoses various types of faults and is capable of identifying unknown fault types.
