Simultaneous Testing of a Parabolic Dish Concentrated PCM and Non-PCM Solar Receiver

A simultaneous test method is proposed, for evaluating the effect of phase change material (PCM) in the concentrated solar receiver, under similar operating conditions. A 16 m2 parabolic dish concentrator is employed, to concentrate the solar rays on the receiver. D-Mannitol is selected, based on the temperature region of the receiver. The mass flow rate of heat transfer fluid (HTF) is90 kg/h. The PCM integrated receiverensuresa uniform thermal output, during sudden discontinuity of solar radiation for a few to several minutes, when compared to non-PCM receiver. The simultaneous testing of PCM and non-PCM solar receiver concept is successfully implemented in this work