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Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization
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Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 9213

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Meng Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: solar thermal; high-temperature electrolysis; CO2 capture; photoelectrochemistry
Prof. Dr. Ligang Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Energy and Power Innovation, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Interests: solid-oxide fuel cells and electrolysis; energy systems engineering
Dr. Ruikai Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Interests: solar thermal; carbon capture; adsorption separation; waste energy recovery; thermodynamic cycle

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The conversion of solar energy into useful forms is an important sector for the reduction of carbon emissions and for boosting the share of renewable energy in the energy market. Solar thermal technologies featured high conversion efficiency due to broadband absorption and low cost, which is thanks to their cheap thermal storage pathways. Recent progress has gone beyond the conventional scope of solar heating, cooling and power generation. More emerging technologies coupled with solar thermal are showing great potential for large-scale engineering deployment, including but not limited to solar fuel processing, carbon capture, high-temperature electrochemical conversion, and desalinization for purified water production.

This Special Issue will focus on the most recent progress in solar thermal technologies. Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

  • Solar heating and cooling;
  • Concentrated solar power generation;
  • Solar thermochemical cycles for energy storage and fuel production;
  • High-temperature electrochemical devices and systems;
  • CO2 capture;
  • Solar desalination technologies.

Dr. Meng Lin
Prof. Dr. Ligang Wang
Dr. Ruikai Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • solar thermal
  • fuel production
  • heating and cooling
  • CO2 capture
  • concentrated solar power

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5972 KiB  
Article
Heat Transfer Augmentation and Friction Factor Due to the Arrangement of Rectangular Turbulators in a Finned Air Channel of a Solar Air Heater
by Byeong-Hwa An, Kwang-Hwan Choi and Hwi-Ung Choi
Energies 2023, 16(19), 6891; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16196891 - 29 Sep 2023
Viewed by 596
Abstract
In this study, the heat transfer augmentation and friction factor of a novel type of solar air heater (SAH), which incorporates longitudinal fins and rectangular turbulators, were investigated numerically with different arrangements of the turbulators. The effects of arrangements of rectangular turbulators placed [...] Read more.
In this study, the heat transfer augmentation and friction factor of a novel type of solar air heater (SAH), which incorporates longitudinal fins and rectangular turbulators, were investigated numerically with different arrangements of the turbulators. The effects of arrangements of rectangular turbulators placed in a finned air channel on its heat transfer augmentation and friction factor are discussed for Reynolds numbers ranging from 3000 to 15,000 using commercial ANSYS 17.2 software. Four different arrangements are investigated, including Array A, which places turbulators on both the fin’s side and base surfaces at the same position; Array B, where turbulators are sequentially placed on the fin’s side and base surfaces; Array C, where turbulators are only placed on the side surface; and Array D, where turbulators are placed only on the base surface. Array A showed the highest heat transfer augmentation and friction factor among the investigated arrangements. However, the highest thermo-hydraulic performance (THP), considering both the heat transfer augmentation and friction factor, was obtained in Array B, with a value of 1.36. Consequently, Array B was regarded as the most appropriate and effective arrangement method for the finned air channel of a SAH. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization)
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22 pages, 8080 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Solar Parabolic Trough Receivers with External Fins: An Experimental Study on Enhancing Heat Transfer and Thermal Efficiency
by Teerapath Limboonruang, Muyiwa Oyinlola, Dani Harmanto, Pracha Bunyawanichakul and Nittalin Phunapai
Energies 2023, 16(18), 6520; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16186520 - 10 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1084
Abstract
Several researchers have shown that the heat transfer performance of solar parabolic trough (SPT) receivers may be improved by increasing their surface area or by adding internal fins to the tubes. Unfortunately, the manufacture of internally finned tubes involves complex processes, resulting in [...] Read more.
Several researchers have shown that the heat transfer performance of solar parabolic trough (SPT) receivers may be improved by increasing their surface area or by adding internal fins to the tubes. Unfortunately, the manufacture of internally finned tubes involves complex processes, resulting in significant cost increases. On the other hand, the addition of external fins to tubes is more technically and economically feasible in a low-resource setting. This study investigates the potential benefits of integrating external fins on the receiver tubes of a low-cost SPT collector system. Experiments were conducted using an SPT system with a focal length of 300 mm and a collector length of 5.1 m, and they were positioned by an automated Sun tracking system. Tests were undertaken using both smooth and externally finned receiver tubes operating at five different water flow rates. The solar receiver with a finned tube was able to provide a maximum water temperature of 59.34 °C compared with that of 56.52 °C for a smooth tube at a flow rate of 0.5 L per minute. The externally finned absorber tube was also found to have a maximum efficiency of 18.20% at an average daily solar intensity of 834.61 W/m2, which is approximately 48% more efficient than the smooth tube. The calculations indicate that the experimental SPT system using finned tubes potentially avoids 0.2726 metric tons of CO2e per year, with finned tubes outperforming smooth tubes by up to 44%. The results show that using externally finned receiver tubes can significantly enhance the thermal performance of SPT collector systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization)
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29 pages, 5873 KiB  
Article
Technical Analysis of the Large Capacity Grid-Connected Floating Photovoltaic System on the Hydropower Reservoir
by Nghia-Hieu Nguyen, Bao-Chi Le, Le-Ngoc Nguyen and Thanh-Trung Bui
Energies 2023, 16(9), 3780; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093780 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1516
Abstract
Among the energy targets of the Vietnamese government, solar energy is expected to become the main source of renewable energy in the future. Solar energy is moving forward, with Vietnam outstripping Thailand and becoming the country that installed the largest capacity of solar [...] Read more.
Among the energy targets of the Vietnamese government, solar energy is expected to become the main source of renewable energy in the future. Solar energy is moving forward, with Vietnam outstripping Thailand and becoming the country that installed the largest capacity of solar power generation in Southeast Asia, reaching 16,362 MW in new installations in December 2021. In this study, we have experimentally analyzed and designed a capacity of 47.5 MW grid-connected photovoltaic plant mounted on the floatation system at Da Mi hydropower reservoir in Binh Thuan province. This was selected to be utilized as the first effort to develop the first large-capacity floating solar power plant on a hydroelectric reservoir in Vietnam. A detailed examination of the electrical analysis, including DC to DC converters, AC inverters to the transmission network, and PV module connectivity configurations, are in scope. The present research has the potential to make a contribution to the design of the DC electrical part, the AC electrical part, and the layout PV modules—Inverter—Floatation system—Floating bridge of FPV plants which are less described in the former articles. The performance of the plant after the first 2 years of operation has confirmed that it has met the expectations and exceeded the investor’s target, with the power output of the first 2 years being higher than the design by 102.58% to 105.59% and no serious damage has occurred to the equipment from 1 June 2019 to 31 August 2021. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization)
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18 pages, 4395 KiB  
Article
Experimental Performance Evaluation of an Integrated, LCPV/T Membrane Distillation System for Electricity and Seawater Desalination
by Shengwei Huang, Zhenghao Liu, Yong Zhang, Dan Su, Dongqi Sun and Chao Cheng
Energies 2022, 15(24), 9641; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249641 - 19 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1075
Abstract
In this paper, an integrated system based on low-concentrated photovoltaic/thermal (LCPV/T) technology and efficient vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) seawater desalination utilizing the energy of solar is established. Through a theoretical analysis and a series of experiments, this paper explores the temperature change of [...] Read more.
In this paper, an integrated system based on low-concentrated photovoltaic/thermal (LCPV/T) technology and efficient vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) seawater desalination utilizing the energy of solar is established. Through a theoretical analysis and a series of experiments, this paper explores the temperature change of a single VMD process, and the variation trend of single-day membrane flux with solar irradiation and temperature parameters. In addition, the changes in solar irradiation, temperatures of the integrated system, membrane flux, and thermoelectric properties in different seasons are also analyzed. A mathematical model was established to calculate the relationship between membrane flux and temperature difference. The experimental results show that the membrane flux of VMD is 2.73 L/(m2·h); the simulated seawater can achieve a desalination rate of 99.9%. After economic analysis, the operating incomes of the system under sunny weather conditions in different seasons were all positive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization)
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11 pages, 19407 KiB  
Article
Study of the Technologies for Freeze Protection of Cooling Towers in the Solar System
by Jingnan Liu, Lixin Zhang, Yongbao Chen, Zheng Yin, Yan Shen and Yuedong Sun
Energies 2022, 15(24), 9640; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249640 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1602
Abstract
A cooling tower is an important guarantee for the proper operation of a solar system. To ensure proper operation of the system and to maintain high-efficiency points, the cooling tower must operate year-round. However, freezing is a common problem that degrades the performance [...] Read more.
A cooling tower is an important guarantee for the proper operation of a solar system. To ensure proper operation of the system and to maintain high-efficiency points, the cooling tower must operate year-round. However, freezing is a common problem that degrades the performance of cooling towers in winter. For example, the air inlet forms hanging ice, which clogs the air path, and the coil in closed cooling towers freezes and cracks, leading to water leakage in the internal circulation. This has become an intractable problem that affects the safety and performance of cooling systems in winter. To address this problem, three methods of freeze protection for cooling towers are studied: (a) the dry and wet mixing operation method—the method of selecting heat exchangers under dry operation at different environments and inlet water temperatures is presented. The numerical experiment shows that the dry and wet mixing operation method can effectively avoid ice hanging on the air inlet. (b) The engineering plastic capillary mats method—its freeze protection characteristics, thermal performance, and economics are studied, and the experiment result is that polyethylene (PE) can meet the demands of freeze protection. (c) The antifreeze fluid method—the cooling capacity of the closed cooling towers with different concentrations of glycol antifreeze fluid is numerically studied by analyzing the heat transfer coefficient ratio, the air volume ratio, the heat dissipation ratio, and the flow rate ratio. The addition of glycol will reduce the cooling capacity of the closed cooling tower. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization)
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27 pages, 13431 KiB  
Article
Energy, Exergy Efficiency and Thermal-Electrical Production Assessment for an Active Water Heating System Using Four PV/T Module Models
by Viet Van Hoang, Hiep Chi Le and Bao The Nguyen
Energies 2022, 15(24), 9634; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249634 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1593
Abstract
In order to objectively reflect the energy utilization performance of an active water heating system (AWHS) using photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) modules, this study proposes a new evaluation method based on energy efficiency, exergy efficiency and thermal-electrical output of a system in year-round weather conditions. [...] Read more.
In order to objectively reflect the energy utilization performance of an active water heating system (AWHS) using photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) modules, this study proposes a new evaluation method based on energy efficiency, exergy efficiency and thermal-electrical output of a system in year-round weather conditions. Four samples of PV/T modules were surveyed to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of the system, called MD1, MD2, MD3 and MD4, respectively. The simulation program was developed to suit four types of PV/T modules and MATLAB was used as the programming language. The water flow through the four PV/T module samples and the hot water tank volume were investigated for the highest exergy efficiency of the system. The final results illustrate that in the weather conditions of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the system has the highest energy efficiency, exergy efficiency and thermal output when using MD1 with 57.85%, 15.67% and 2.93 kWh/m2/day, respectively, while the system has highest electrical output when using MD3 with 0.8 kWh/m2/day. In addition, under stable conditions ignoring heat loss, MD1 has the highest thermal efficiency with 54.85% and MD3 type has the highest electrical efficiency with 13.67%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization)
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19 pages, 6600 KiB  
Article
Novel Off-Design Operation Maps Showing Functionality Limitations of Organic Rankine Cycle Validated by Experiments
by Ying Zhang, Li Zhao, Shuai Deng, Ming Li, Yali Liu, Qiongfen Yu and Mengxing Li
Energies 2022, 15(21), 8240; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15218240 - 04 Nov 2022
Viewed by 939
Abstract
In this study, we developed a new methodology to analyze the off-design performance of the organic Rankine cycle. The methodology enabled us to predict the performance based on four-dimensional decision variables and a set of constraints. A corresponding formulation and algorithm with general [...] Read more.
In this study, we developed a new methodology to analyze the off-design performance of the organic Rankine cycle. The methodology enabled us to predict the performance based on four-dimensional decision variables and a set of constraints. A corresponding formulation and algorithm with general applicability were constructed. The reliability and feasibility of this methodology were validated by a test rig of the cycle with R245fa as the working fluid and three experimental schemes. Under specific working conditions, the theoretical results illustrated the operation maps, functionality limitations, and their variation laws, considering the interactive characteristics among the variables. The functionality limitations predicted a maximum thermal efficiency of 9.42%, corresponding to a net power output of 697.1 W, whereas the maximum net power output was 2251.5 W, corresponding to a thermal efficiency of 8.04%. The experimental results indicated that when the R245fa mass flow rate was 0.120 kg/s, the experimental efficiency and power output were 6.94% and 1873.4 W, respectively; when the R245fa mass flow rate was 0.049 kg/s, they were 3.54% and 274.1 W, respectively. These findings were in good agreement with the theoretical results, with relative errors below 7.64%. This work is expected to be applied in future dynamic control systems to update the setting points and manipulated variables in real time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Solar Thermal Technologies: Renewable Energy Conversion and Utilization)
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