Abstract :
A linear solar concentrator produces electricity by using a mirror to focus sunlight on a fluid filled tube known as a heat collection
element. The fluid inside the element is then used as a heat source for steam generation in a conventional steam turbine power plant. This
study examined the effect of adding microstructures to the surface of a heat collection element to improve system efficiency. Four test
pieces, one with a smooth surface and three with a microstructured surface were compared experimentally for a given energy input
and five different flow rates ranging from 0.84 cm3/s to 2.5 cm3/s. Over the entire range of flow rates the microchannel test piece absorbed
no less than 1.29 times the energy of the smooth test piece.
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