A Numerical Investigation on Aerodynamic Coefficients of Solar Troughs Considering Terrain Effects and Vortex Shedding

Recently, increase in the cost of fossil fuels and taking into consideration the environmental effects of exploiting them, caused many researchers and governments to find some ways to make use of renewable energies more cost-effectively. Solar energy is a category of renewable energies which could be harvested via several technologies. One of the most practical methods is using parabolic troughs. In solar power plants, many parabolic troughs are set in parallel rows in order to concentrate the solar power onto a tube absorber. In designing and manufacturing parabolic troughs and their structures, it is essential to take into account the wind force. Any negligence in considering the wind force could be concluded in losing the accuracy and efficiency. In this article, the aerodynamic coefficients of parabolic solar troughs have been investigated using CFD methods. The variations of aerodynamic coefficients considering terrain effects, the angle of collectors and the gap between mirrors have been studied. Also, it will be demonstrated that in order to properly align trough collector in solar farms, it is essential to study the vortices shed created at the behind of parabolic troughs and its effects on collectors’ structures in the result of wind interaction. At the end and as an illustration, the drag and lift coefficients of collectors have been calculated in Yazd power plant.