Performance testing of the Solar Kinetics T-700A Solar Collector

Results are summarized of tests conducted by the Collector Module Test Facility on a Solar Kinetics T-700A Solar Collector which is a parabolic trough collector. The collector was evaluated with a glass mirror and with an acrylic film-reflector surface. Tests were conducted over a temperature range from 20/sup 0/ to 360/sup 0/C, using three heat-transfer fluids and absorber tubes of two different diameters. Tests were also made with direct normal solar irradiance from 200 to 1050 W/m/sup 2/. Collector efficiency and thermal loss were found to change significantly with changes in solar irradiance. Using only a measured efficiency curve, a thermal loss curve, and a measurement of the approximate optical efficiency, a procedure was developed to predict the collector efficiency and thermal loss at any level of solar irradiance and for any temperature within the range of test data.