NUMERICAL HEAT TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT OF SOLAR RECEIVER TUBE OF PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTOR USING FIBERFRAX 140 COATED WITH AL ₂O ₃

Parabolic trough collectors (PTCs) play a vital role in solar-thermal energy conversion, with the absorber tube being central to heat collection efficiency. This study investigates the potential for improving heat transfer within the PTC absorber tube using Fiberfrax 140 coated with Al ₂O ₃ as a novel reflector material. The research is driven by the ongoing pursuit of enhanced PTC performance. A standard modeling approach was employed, utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis with SolidWorks Flow Simulation software, coupled with solar simulations to assess collector performance under varying conditions. Environmental parameters of Bauchi such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed were sourced from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). Optimization techniques were implemented to establish the optimal design configuration. The optimal design parameters were determined as a focal length of 700mm and a rim angle of 90°. Simulations were conducted daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, encompassing the period of January to June. A mass flow rate of 0.2 kg/s, informed by existing literature, was employed in the simulations. The results indicate improved collector performance throughout the simulated period, with peak thermal efficiency ranging from70%to82%.