Model of a Solar Collector/Storage System for Industrial Thermal Applications

A model for the thermodynamic analysis of a non-stationary solar thermal system is described. The main system components are a parabolic tube collector and a steam accumulator, which provides heat for industrial processes. The use of exergy analysis leads to the identification of potentials for performance improvements. The rate of exergy destruction is calculated over a daily operation cycle, showing that the largest exergy destruction takes place at collector level. The effect of varying the volumetric flow rate per unit collector surface area is also discussed.