Optimal Determination of the Q/A Factor for Parabolic Concentrator Solar Collector Networks

This work presents a study of the Q/A factor in optimised designs of solar thermal networks of the Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) type, which utilise Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) technology for both winter and summer seasons. A MINLP optimisation problem with 9 decision variables is...

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Main Authors: Juan-Ramón Lizárraga-Morazán, Martín Picón-Núñez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 2024-12-01
Series:Chemical Engineering Transactions
Online Access:https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14959
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author Juan-Ramón Lizárraga-Morazán
Martín Picón-Núñez
author_facet Juan-Ramón Lizárraga-Morazán
Martín Picón-Núñez
author_sort Juan-Ramón Lizárraga-Morazán
collection DOAJ
description This work presents a study of the Q/A factor in optimised designs of solar thermal networks of the Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) type, which utilise Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) technology for both winter and summer seasons. A MINLP optimisation problem with 9 decision variables is solved using the heuristic technique of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) coupled with a proposed and validated transient thermohydraulic-economic model. The inlet temperature of the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) was varied across low, medium, and high ranges, along with the target temperature and thermal load required by the process. For predicting the Q/A factor, a multivariable polynomial regression using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) was employed. It was found that the HTF inlet temperature and the temperature required by the industrial process are the variables that most significantly impact the Q/A factor. The average optimised Q/A factor values are lower than the commonly used factor of 0.7 kW·m?², resulting in 0.51 ± 0.03; and 0.65 ± 0.03 kW·m?² with deviations of 26.54 % and 7.30 % for winter and summer.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
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spelling doaj-art-e0da3d5a2aa84b88ab544e481e08a38e2025-08-20T02:00:12ZengAIDIC Servizi S.r.l.Chemical Engineering Transactions2283-92162024-12-01114Optimal Determination of the Q/A Factor for Parabolic Concentrator Solar Collector NetworksJuan-Ramón Lizárraga-MorazánMartín Picón-NúñezThis work presents a study of the Q/A factor in optimised designs of solar thermal networks of the Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) type, which utilise Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) technology for both winter and summer seasons. A MINLP optimisation problem with 9 decision variables is solved using the heuristic technique of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) coupled with a proposed and validated transient thermohydraulic-economic model. The inlet temperature of the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) was varied across low, medium, and high ranges, along with the target temperature and thermal load required by the process. For predicting the Q/A factor, a multivariable polynomial regression using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) was employed. It was found that the HTF inlet temperature and the temperature required by the industrial process are the variables that most significantly impact the Q/A factor. The average optimised Q/A factor values are lower than the commonly used factor of 0.7 kW·m?², resulting in 0.51 ± 0.03; and 0.65 ± 0.03 kW·m?² with deviations of 26.54 % and 7.30 % for winter and summer.https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14959
spellingShingle Juan-Ramón Lizárraga-Morazán
Martín Picón-Núñez
Optimal Determination of the Q/A Factor for Parabolic Concentrator Solar Collector Networks
Chemical Engineering Transactions
title Optimal Determination of the Q/A Factor for Parabolic Concentrator Solar Collector Networks
title_full Optimal Determination of the Q/A Factor for Parabolic Concentrator Solar Collector Networks
title_fullStr Optimal Determination of the Q/A Factor for Parabolic Concentrator Solar Collector Networks
title_full_unstemmed Optimal Determination of the Q/A Factor for Parabolic Concentrator Solar Collector Networks
title_short Optimal Determination of the Q/A Factor for Parabolic Concentrator Solar Collector Networks
title_sort optimal determination of the q a factor for parabolic concentrator solar collector networks
url https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14959
work_keys_str_mv AT juanramonlizarragamorazan optimaldeterminationoftheqafactorforparabolicconcentratorsolarcollectornetworks
AT martinpiconnunez optimaldeterminationoftheqafactorforparabolicconcentratorsolarcollectornetworks