To study the possibility to utilize Polymer-Based Mirror Film Inserts (reflective insert is the material which in inserted onto the parabolic dish) as a reflective material in Parabolic Solar Concentrator application with the celestial sun tracking system. The Polymer-Based Mirror Film Inserts will be researched on a common prime Focus Antenna Method which can operate in several climatic conditions (from -20 deg C to 45 deg. C). Presently, the Parabolic Solar Concentrator designs use custom produced low iron parabolic glass mirrors. Nevertheless, this design is extremely costly and not obtainable to the average consumer. In addition, the operating cost of the custom produced mirrors is quite high. The current application of Polymer-Based Mirror Film is only used in parabolic troughs where there is only 1 curve. The technological objective is to investigation possible utilization of Polymer-Based Mirror Film Inserts which are curved in both directions in common Prime Focus Antenna Program. This researchwill permit Polymer-Based Mirror Inserts to be utilised with Parabolic Concentrator Designs from 1.8 m to 12m diameters.
B. Scientific or Technological Advancement
This scientific research will enable application engineers to implement low cost Polymer-Based Mirror Inserts in Parabolic Solar Concentrators with the celestial sun tracking system and also will boost the information of low cost Solar Energy harvesting method. The celestial sun tracking system in conjunction with Polymer-Based Mirror Inserts will supply a new price powerful remedy for energy production. As a result, the researched material will support designers or engineers to generate commercially viable Parabolic Solar Concentrators for private, commercial and industrial applications. At present, the Solar Concentrators are:
Really High-priced
Limited to Utility Applications
Demands Supervision
High Maintenance Price
The research consists of investigating the various combinations of substrate and Polymer-Based Mirror Film for parabolic Solar Concentrators to obtain 73-83% energy efficiency in the focal point. Moreover, the conducted research will potentially discover a probable answer to overcome the high price of manufacturing in the present Solar Concentrator designs. This investigation will aid in making scientific understanding in Harvesting of Solar Energy. As result, the Parabolic Solar Concentrators might be regarded as as an option energy source, which can aid to lessen the energy costs. Furthermore, this scientific and technological research will lead to the development of new generation of Parabolic Solar Concentrators to power homes, industries and commercial buildings.
The scientific research will present the following technological advancements:
It will lessen the price of Parabolic Solar Concentrator
It will make solar energy a viable organization option
It will enable designers/engineers to greater realize the solar energy harvesting process
C. Scientific or technological uncertainty
The technological uncertainty is the fact that the Polymer-Based Mirror Film was developed for metal substrate which has only one curve (parabolic troughs). In parabolic concentrator application, Polymer-Based Mirror Film is applied to acrylic substrate and is subjected to a heat during the petal forming procedure and physical stress occurs due to the bidirectional flexing of Polymer-Based Mirror Film. As result, a prospective breakage of the mirror film can occur. Furthermore, the sun’s focal point wants to be investigated to determine no matter whether the Polymer-Based Mirror Film insert can offer uniform sun pattern in the focal point. In addition, the following questions require to be answered: Can different anxiety relief processes be applied to Polymer-Based Mirror Film to decrease the anxiety and breakage of the material under diversified climatic conditions? This difficult question creates scientific and technological uncertainty. Numerous temperature forming concepts want to be researched just before it can be concluded that there is a possibility to utilize Polymer-Based Mirror Film as a reflective material in Solar Concentrators. The Polymer-Based Mirror Film need to be researched under the following conditions:
Physical tension
Thermal tension
Various weather conditions
Numerous temperature conditions (-20 deg. C to 45C deg.)
For example, it was discovered that the Polymer-Based Mirror Film performed rather well at 20 deg. C even so, the same Polymer-Based Mirror Film skilled peeling off at the edges of the petals at -12 deg. C. It was confirmed that the greater incidents of peeling off occurred under freeze and thaw temperature conditions. In addition, it was noted that the focal point sun pattern is not really uniform. Can a new celestial tracking program with a new collector/absorber design compensate for a non- uniform sun pattern? The suitable research, testing and evaluation must be studied to analyze the above scenario. Therefore, there is great scientific uncertainty concerning the outcome of the investigation concerning the possibility of using Polymer-Based Mirror Film in Solar concentrator applications. Currently, there is not a single company which commercially manufactures Solar Concentrators produced out of Polymer-Based Mirror Film.