Thermal performance study of a vacuum integrated solar storage collector (ISSC) with compound parabolic concentrator (CPC)

This paper deals with the energy performance of a new integrated solar storage collector (ISSC) with compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) conceived in the Thermal Process Laboratory in CRTEn Borj Cedria (North of Tunisia). The novelty in this system is the use of transparent vacuum insulation in the annulus between double half-Cylindrical Plexiglass, and the use of automated nocturnal insulation system, which suppresses heat loss during night. Also, the system is equipped with a mobile support permitting to have many collector orientations toward south, east-south, and west-south in order to maximize the incident solar flux. The experimental study of the ISSC system showed that the thermal loss coefficient of ISSC system is equal to 6.16 W/K for ISSC without nocturnal insulation and without vacuum, 4.69W/K for ISSC without nocturnal insulation and with vacuum, and 4.00 W/K for ISSC with nocturnal insulation and with vacuum. The thermal efficiency of the solar collector is equal to 42.92% for ISSC system fixed without vacuum, 45.95% for ISSC system fixed with vacuum, and 50.56% for ISSC system mobile with vacuum. In order to determine the long-term performance of the vacuum ISSC with CPC, the TRNSYS simulations were carried out by using the component modules modeling the ISSC with CPC concentrator (type 74 and type 60f). Comparison between experimental and predicted results for the temperature difference inside the storage tank during 3 days of January showed reasonable agreement. The numerical results for the ISSC system showed that the annual total energy collected (solar) and auxiliary energy were about 4670 and 1561 MJ, respectively. The annual total auxiliary energy represents about 33.4% of the annual total energy collected (solar). During the summer months (June, July, and August), no auxiliary is needed and the solar fraction (SF) is equal to 100%, where as the annual average SF is about 75%.