The design and construction of solar concentrators heavily affects their optical efficiency, heat utilization, and cost. Current trough concentrators use an equivalent uniform beam with a metal grid substructure. In this conventional design, there is surplus stiffness and strength, which unnecessarily increases the overall weight and cost of the structure. This paper describes a variable cross section structural optimization approach (with the EuroTrough design, including safety factors, taken as an example) to overcome this issue. The main improvement of this design comes from keeping the beams rigid and strong near the two ends (at the torque box structure) while allowing the middle of the structure to be relatively weak. Reducing the cross-sectional area of the middle beams not only reduces the amount of material needed for the structure but also reduces the deflection of the reflector. In addition, a new connection structure between two neighboring concentrator elements was designed to reinforce the structure. The simulated results show that the concentrator's structural weight (including the torque box, endplates, and cantilever arms) is reduced by 13.5% (i.e., about 133 kg per 12 m long element). This represents a meaningful capital and installation cost savings while at the same time improving the optical efficiency.
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December 2018
Research-Article
Linear Solar Concentrator Structural Optimization Using Variable Beam Cross Sections
Moucun Yang,
Moucun Yang
School of Mechanical and Power Engineering,
Nanjing Tech University,
30 Puzhu South Road, Pukou,
Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: young_2004@njtech.edu.cn
Nanjing Tech University,
30 Puzhu South Road, Pukou,
Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: young_2004@njtech.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Yuezhao Zhu,
Yuezhao Zhu
School of Mechanical and Power Engineering,
Nanjing Tech University,
Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: zyz@njtech.edu.cn
Nanjing Tech University,
30 Puzhu South Road
, Pukou,Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: zyz@njtech.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Wei Fu,
Wei Fu
School of Mechanical and Power Engineering,
Nanjing Tech University,
Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: fuwei891231@gmail.com
Nanjing Tech University,
30 Puzhu South Road
, Pukou,Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: fuwei891231@gmail.com
Search for other works by this author on:
Garth Pearce,
Garth Pearce
School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering,
University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
e-mail: g.pearce@unsw.edu.au
Manufacturing Engineering,
University of New South Wales,
Gate 14, Barker Street, Kensington
,Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
e-mail: g.pearce@unsw.edu.au
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Robert A. Taylor
Robert A. Taylor
School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering/School of
Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering,
University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
e-mail: Robert.Taylor@unsw.edu.au
Manufacturing Engineering/School of
Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering,
University of New South Wales,
Gate 14, Barker Street, Kensington
,Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
e-mail: Robert.Taylor@unsw.edu.au
Search for other works by this author on:
Moucun Yang
School of Mechanical and Power Engineering,
Nanjing Tech University,
30 Puzhu South Road, Pukou,
Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: young_2004@njtech.edu.cn
Nanjing Tech University,
30 Puzhu South Road, Pukou,
Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: young_2004@njtech.edu.cn
Yuezhao Zhu
School of Mechanical and Power Engineering,
Nanjing Tech University,
Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: zyz@njtech.edu.cn
Nanjing Tech University,
30 Puzhu South Road
, Pukou,Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: zyz@njtech.edu.cn
Wei Fu
School of Mechanical and Power Engineering,
Nanjing Tech University,
Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: fuwei891231@gmail.com
Nanjing Tech University,
30 Puzhu South Road
, Pukou,Nanjing 211816, China
e-mail: fuwei891231@gmail.com
Garth Pearce
School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering,
University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
e-mail: g.pearce@unsw.edu.au
Manufacturing Engineering,
University of New South Wales,
Gate 14, Barker Street, Kensington
,Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
e-mail: g.pearce@unsw.edu.au
Robert A. Taylor
School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering/School of
Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering,
University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
e-mail: Robert.Taylor@unsw.edu.au
Manufacturing Engineering/School of
Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering,
University of New South Wales,
Gate 14, Barker Street, Kensington
,Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
e-mail: Robert.Taylor@unsw.edu.au
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING: INCLUDING WIND ENERGY AND BUILDING ENERGY CONSERVATION. Manuscript received October 2, 2017; final manuscript received May 3, 2018; published online June 26, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Marc Röger.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Dec 2018, 140(6): 061006 (8 pages)
Published Online: June 26, 2018
Article history
Received:
October 2, 2017
Revised:
May 3, 2018
Citation
Yang, M., Zhu, Y., Fu, W., Pearce, G., and Taylor, R. A. (June 26, 2018). "Linear Solar Concentrator Structural Optimization Using Variable Beam Cross Sections." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. December 2018; 140(6): 061006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4040273
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