Comparative Study of Reflectors by Using Different Parabolic Trough Solar Water Heater With and Without Glass Cover

Abstract

Solar energy is the source of all types of energy on Earth, making it a major source. The demand for energy in today's world is steadily rising, putting a strain on our traditional energy sources such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, and other fossil fuels, which are finite and will run out in the future if not controlled by alternative sources. Solar energy is the ideal alternative for various energy-generating processes since it is a renewable source of energy that does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions or other pollutants in the environment. It is long-term because it will not be depleted in the near future. The possibility of a solar thermal system for hot water generation has been investigated in this research. A setup with a manual solar radiation tracking system is built in this work, and a comparative examination of parabolic trough solar water heaters employing different reflector materials with and without glass covers is carried out. As a reflector, a trough made of stainless steel sheet is cut and welded, and aluminum foil and mirror strips are utilized in the setup. As an absorber, a copper tube with a diameter of 18mm and a focal length of 240mm is utilized. The experiment is carried out in four stages, using various reflectors with and without a plan glass cover on the trough face to reduce losses caused by wind below. The setup's best performance is recorded and compared to the other three scenarios. SRCEM College, Banmore, conducted the experiment in May 2021 (summer season) (M.P).