Simulation Heat Transfer Fluid Efficiency and Molten Salts in Heat Collecting Elements in Concentrating Solar Power

In this work, we simulate the efficiency of different Heat Transfer Fluids (HTF) and molten salts when circulating through a section of Heat Collecting Elements (HCE) in a parabolic trough system for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP). The simulation shows that the Therminol VP-1 and Dowtherm A synthetic oils are the most efficient in the solar field due to their broad range of working temperatures, their low heat loss, losses of charge and low viscosity, and all at an affordable cost. If we take into account the overall performance of the plant, the fluid that yields the best results is the Hitec XL salt due to its working temperature, which is 100 °C greater than that of the oils. Molten salts provide an alternative to the use of HTF, since they enable the total cost of running the plant to be reduced as well as improving its competitiveness.