The Effect of Uneven Metal Foam Distribution on Solar Compound Parabolic Trough Collector Receiver Thermal Performance
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Abstract
Solar energy is a key player among other renewable energies that reduce greenhouse gases and replace conventional fuel, i.e., to solve global warming and fossil fuel descending issues. However, the thermal solar systems’ performance should be enhanced to cope with intermittent solar radiation. Metal foam can be used as an enhancer in solar collectors’ receivers. However, metal foams are associated with pressure drop. To benefit from the metal foam as a thermal enhancer and overcome the pressure drop issue, the present study numerically and experimentally investigates a novel Compound Parabolic Solar Collector (CPC) receiver with innovative uneven metal foam inserts of varying thickness. Two pores per inch (PPI) Cu-foam inserts, PPI10 and PPI20, were tested. These inserts were strategically placed at three different positions along the receiver, with thicknesses of 3 cm, 2 cm, and 1 cm starting from the inlet side. In the experimental part, three tubular receivers were tested, empty, i.e., without metal foam, inserted with Cu-foam of PPI10, and inserted with Cu-foam of PPI20. The experiments were conducted from 09:00 AM to 04:00 PM. The investigation involved water volume flow rates from 0.2 to 0.6 l/min. The numerical part included solving the governing equations, i.e., mass, momentum, and energy conservation, simulating conditions similar to the experiments. The Brinckman model described the fluid flow through the metal foam. The thermal performance of the CPC system was evaluated using the Nusselt number (Nu), thermal efficiency, water bulk temperature, and water outlet-inlet temperature difference. Inserting Cu-foam of PPI20 resulted in the hourly maximum Nu and thermal efficiency compared to the empty and PPI10 cases. Experimentally, the hourly maximum Nu was 8.9, 8.4, and 7.9 for PPI20, PPI10, and empty receivers, respectively, at 0.6 l/min. The average thermal efficiency was 88.3, 85, and 81.9 for PPI20, PPI10, and empty receivers, respectively, at 0.6 l/min. As for the outlet-inlet water temperature difference, the highest values were at 0.2 l/min. Again, PPI20 recorded the best results, i.e., 23.3 K, 21.5 K, and 20.2 K for PPI20, PPI10, and empty cases, respectively.
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