Performance evaluation and optimization of solar dish concentrator in the upper Egypt region

Abstract

The goal of this study is to optimize and examine the effect of different rim angles and focus lengths on the performance of a solar parabolic dish. To achieve these goals, a solar parabolic dish concentrator was constructed with different focus point positions and tested under the climatic conditions of the Upper Egypt region in Qena city, with the location of (Latitude: 26.16°, Longitude: 32.71°). The preliminary experimental days started on 18th and lasted on 20th of September 2022, and the tested rim angles were 70°, 80°, and 60°. The results showed that the performance of the proposed solar parabolic dish concentrator was enhanced when the rim angle was between 60° and 70°, otherwise, the performance was regressed when the rim angle was between 70° and 80°. To optimize the rim angle, another available rim angle was selected to increase the performance of the solar dish fixed at 65°, and this angle was tested on 21st of September 2022. The results demonstrated that the thermal efficiency of the solar parabolic dish with rim angle of 65° was higher than that of 70°, 80°, and 60°, and the recorded thermal efficiency reached up to 79.5%, 39.4%, 5.84%, and 28.4%, respectively, under the tested rim angles.