The heat loss of a receiver in a parabolic trough collector plays an important role in collector performance. A number of methods have been used to measure the thermal loss of a receiver tube depending on its operating temperature. This paper presents methods for measuring receiver heat losses including field measurements and laboratory setups both based on energy balances from the hot inside of the receiver tube to the ambient. Further approaches are presented to measure and analyze the temperature of the glass envelope of evacuated receivers and to model overall heat losses and emissivity coefficients of the receiver. Good agreement can be found between very different approaches and independent installations. For solar parabolic trough plants operating in the usual temperature range, the thermal loss is around receiver length.
Skip Nav Destination
e-mail: e.luepfert@dlr.de
Article navigation
Research Papers
Experimental Analysis of Overall Thermal Properties of Parabolic Trough Receivers
Eckhard Lüpfert,
Eckhard Lüpfert
German Aerospace Center (DLR),
e-mail: e.luepfert@dlr.de
Institute of Technical Thermodynamics
, Cologne 51170, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Klaus-J. Riffelmann,
Klaus-J. Riffelmann
Flagsol GmbH
, Cologne, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Henry Price,
Henry Price
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Search for other works by this author on:
Frank Burkholder,
Frank Burkholder
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Search for other works by this author on:
Tim Moss
Tim Moss
Sandia National Laboratories
, Albuquerque, NM
Search for other works by this author on:
Eckhard Lüpfert
German Aerospace Center (DLR),
Institute of Technical Thermodynamics
, Cologne 51170, Germanye-mail: e.luepfert@dlr.de
Klaus-J. Riffelmann
Flagsol GmbH
, Cologne, Germany
Henry Price
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Frank Burkholder
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Tim Moss
Sandia National Laboratories
, Albuquerque, NMJ. Sol. Energy Eng. May 2008, 130(2): 021007 (5 pages)
Published Online: March 10, 2008
Article history
Received:
September 21, 2006
Revised:
November 16, 2007
Published:
March 10, 2008
Citation
Lüpfert, E., Riffelmann, K., Price, H., Burkholder, F., and Moss, T. (March 10, 2008). "Experimental Analysis of Overall Thermal Properties of Parabolic Trough Receivers." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. May 2008; 130(2): 021007. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2888756
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Mass Flow Control Strategy for Maximum Energy Extraction in Thermal Energy Storage Tanks
J. Sol. Energy Eng (December 2025)
Exergy Optimization of a Hybrid Multi-Evaporative Desalination Plant Powered by Solar and Geothermal Energy
J. Sol. Energy Eng (June 2025)
Correlation for Maximum Heat Transfer Between Fluidized Bed and Its Wall and Application to Solar Power Plants
J. Sol. Energy Eng (June 2025)
Related Articles
Generation of a Parabolic Trough Collector Efficiency Curve From Separate Measurements of Outdoor Optical Efficiency and Indoor Receiver Heat Loss
J. Sol. Energy Eng (February,2012)
Numerical Analysis of Heat Loss From a Parabolic Trough Absorber Tube With Active Vacuum System
J. Sol. Energy Eng (August,2011)
Impact of Gas-Filled Annular Space on Thermal and Optical Performances of a Heat Pipe Parabolic Trough Solar Collector
J. Sol. Energy Eng (December,2021)
Dynamic Analysis of Direct Steam Generating Parabolic Trough Collector System
J. Energy Resour. Technol (March,2021)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Energy Balance for a Swimming Pool
Electromagnetic Waves and Heat Transfer: Sensitivites to Governing Variables in Everyday Life
Constraints
Nonlinear Regression Modeling for Engineering Applications: Modeling, Model Validation, and Enabling Design of Experiments
Heat Loss from Walls in a Typical House
Everyday Heat Transfer Problems: Sensitivities to Governing Variables