DESIGN, FABRICATION AND EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION 
OF PARABOLIC TROUGH SOLAR CONCENTRATOR Al BANGI, 
MALAYSIA 
INr. dhim Magaji kolorkoShl 
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III 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
All thanks to Almighty ALLAH the most compassionate, the most merciful, peace and 
blessings of ALLAH be upon our noble Prophet Mohammad (SAW), members of his family and 
his companions 
My deepest gratitude and appreciation first goes to my kind Supervisor Dr. Nadhrah Md. 
Yatim for her continuous support and guidance throughout my research work. I pray that the 
almighty ALLAH bless her with knowledge, wisdom and engulf the rest of her life with good 
health, happiness and prosperity. And also my sincere gratitude and appreciation goes to my 
respected Co-Supervisor Prof. Dr. Karsono Ahmad Dasuki for his constant guidance and advices 
throughout my research journey. I pray to almighty ALLAH to bless him with good health and 
prosperity throughout the rest ofhis life. 
Special thanks also goes to Dr. Saleem H. Zaidi, Prof. Dr. Kamaruzzaman Sopian tor 
their valuable advice and guidance during my experimental work in UKM. Nevertheless, my 
gratitude goes to Mr. Mohammad Zulkiilee Mohammed and Mr. Wan Shahrol for their 
assistance throughout my experimental work in USIM. 
I would like to take this opportunity as well to thanks my parents for their everlasting 
prayers, guidance, support, assistance, and encouragement in the course of my study and my 
entire life in general. May the almighty ALLAH bless their life with good heath, happiness, and 
prosperities. My sincere appreciations are also going to my family members, friends for their 
unconditional support and assistance. 
IV 
ABSTRAK 
Tenaga solar terma adalah salah satu daripada sumber tenaga yang dapat melengkapi bahan api 
fosil dalam sistem kuasa clektrik dan pemanasan air. Pengumpul solar terma (STC) antara sistem 
yang kos cfektif dalam teknologi in'. Pengumpul parabola palung (PTC) ialah antara teknologi 
rekabcntuk pengumpul solar terma yang paling balk. Walau bagaimanapun, pelaksanaan sistem 
solar tenna di kawasan tropika seperti Malaysia menghadapi cabaran akibat keadaan cuaca yang 
dicirikan oleh hujan lebat, pembentukan awan, angin sekali-sekala, suhu yang berbeza-bcza clan 
kelembapan yang trngýýr. Oleh rtu, kajian rrlr n]engkajr kecekapan maksimum srstcm pemanasan 
air terma yang dicapal dari rekabentuk mudah pengumpul solar terma di bawah iklim Bangi, 
Malaysia. Parabola palung yang di rekabentuk sebagai pengumpul terma mempunyai keluasan 
0.96 m2 dengan sistem pengerakan automatik dan dilitupi aluminium. Sistem penerima telah 
diuji menggunakan tiub tembaga dan aluminium dengan diameter, saiz dan situasi (dilindungi 
dan tidak dilindun(1i) yang berbeza. Penilaian eksperimen sistem penianasan air diperiksa 
dibawah keadaan sistem air stank dan mengalir. Keputusan eksperimen menunjukkan bahawa 
pengcsanan PTC automatik dengan 2 cm tiub aluminium dan tembaga mempunyai prestasi 
yang baik dengan purata kecekapan haba masing-masing 36 % clan 30 '/'(). Keputusan juga 
menunjukkan sistem solar terma dengan pergerakan automatik menggunakan tiub penerima vang 
lebih kecil dengan diameter 1 cm tctapi tertutup di dalam kotak berupaya mencapai kecekapan 
27%. Yang paling penting, parabola palung rekabentuk murah berjaya digunakan sebagai sistem 
pemanas air schingga suhu 100" C di bawah keadaan iklim tropika Bangi, Malaysia. 
V 
ABSTRACT 
Solar thermal energy is one of' the potential sources of energy that compliments the fossil fuels 
for electricity and water heating system. Solar thermal collectors (STC) are among the cost- 
effective systems of, this technology. The parabolic trough solar collector (PTC) is among the 
most promising technology of' solar thermal collector design. However, implementation of solar 
thermal system in tropical regions like Malaysia face challenges due to the characteristic nature 
of' the country that characterized by heavy rainfall, fönnation of clouds, occasional winds, 
varying temperatures and high humidity. Therefore, this study investigates the maximum thermal 
efficiency of' water heating system achieved from a simple solar thermal collector design under 
climatic conditions of Ban-i, Malaysia. The design used is parabolic trough solar collector of 
aperture area of 0.96 in embedded with automatic tracking system with aluminum toil reflecting 
material. Receiver of' the system was tested using copper and aluminum tube with difi'erent 
diameter, size and conditions (covered and uncovered). Experimental evaluation of water heating 
system was carried out under the static and flowing water conditions. Experimental results 
indicate that the automatic tracking PTC together with 2 cm aluminum and copper tube 
receivers performed adequately with an average thermal efficiencies of' 36 °o and 30 °o 
respectively. Results also indicate that the solar thermal system with automatic tracking together 
with smaller 1 cm diameter tube receiver enclosed inside a cover box achieves efficiency of 27 
`%,. Most importantly, inexpensive parabolic trough reflector with low-cost design successfully 
used as water heating system up to temperature 100° C adequately under tropical climatic 
condition of Bangi, Malaysia. 
VI 
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VII 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Contents 
AUTHOR DECLARATION 
BIODATA OF AUTHOR 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
ABSTRAK 
ABSTRACT 
MULAKHAKHAS AL-BAHTH 
CONTENT PAGE 
LIST OF TABLES 
LIST OF FIGURES 
ABBREVIATION 
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 
1.1: Background 
1.2: Problem Statements 
1.3: Objectives 
1.4: Significance of the Study 
CHAPTER II : LITERATURE REVIEW 
2.1: The Solar Radiation 
2.1.1: The Sun 
2.1.2: The Earth 
2.1.3: Earth and Sun Angles 
2.2: Solar Enemy Potentials in Malaysia 
2.3: Concentrated Solar Thermal water Heating Systems 
2.4: Concentrated Solar Technology 
2.5: Parabolic Trough Solar Collectors in Malaysia 
2.6: Parabolic Trough Receiver 
2.7: Tracking System 
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 
3.1: Design and Construction 
3.1.1: Parabolic Collector 
3.1.2: Thermal Receiver 
3.1.3: Structures 
3.2: Experimental Setup 
3.3: Tracking System Assembling 
3.4: Measuring Instruments and Devices 
3.4.1: Temperature 
3.4.2: Solar Insolation 
3.4.3: Mass Flow Rate 
3.4.4: Wind and Humidity 
3.5: Experimental Procedure 
Page 
ii 
iv 
vi 
ix 
x 
xiii 
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3 
6 
6 
S 
9 
11 
12 
15 
2; 
24 
28 
28 
34 
3> 
37 
39 
41 
41 
42 
43 
43 
45 
VIII 
3.6: Thermal Calculation 
CHAPTER IN": RESULTS 
4.1: Collector Design 
4.2: System Design 
42.1: Closed System (Static Water) 
4.2.2: Open System (Flowing Water) 
4.3: Tube Receiver 
4.3.1: Size 
4.3.2: Design 
4.3.3: Material 
4.4: Thermal Efiiciencv Performance Curve 
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 
5.1: Conclusion 
5.2: Recommendation 
5.3: Future work 
REFERENCES 
APPENDIX 
46 
52 
ii 
55 
56 
i9 
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60 
68 
70 
79 
81 
82 
87 
ix 
LIST OF TABLES 
Tables Page 
Table 1: Concentrated Solar Thermal Collectors 14 
Table 2: PTC Design parameters 31 
Table 3: Materials for the tracking system assembling 40 
Table 4: Summary of the Key Data from the Thermal Efficiency Test 77 
Table 5: Table of Data 
87 
X 
LIST OF FIGURES 
Figure Page 
Figure 1: Energy Consumption in 2015 (World Energy Council, 2016) 6 
Figure 2: Motion of the Earth about the Sun S 
Figure 3: The earth and Sun Angles 9 
Figure 4: The earth and Sun Angles 10 
Figure 5: Annual Average Solar Radiation in Malaysia 12 
Figure 6: Sketch ofthe Parabolic Thermal Collector Parameter 29 
Figure 7: 2D-Schematic Diagram of the Collector Dimension Design 31 
Figure 8: 3D-Schematic Diagram of the Collector Dimension Design 32 
Figure 9: Front Side (a) and Back side (b) of the Fabricated Mold 
Surface 
Figure 10: Thermal Receiver Tube 
33 
35 
Figure 11: (a) Design and Dimension of the PTC Stand Structure and (b) 36 
Dimension of the Tube Receiver 
Figure 12: PTC Supporting Stand Structure 36 
Figure 13: Schematic Diagram of Experimental Setup of the CST using 38 
PTC Open System for Water Heating System 
Figure 14: Diagram of Experimental Setup of the CST using PTC Open 39 
System for Water Heating Application 
Figure 15: Circuit Diagram of the Single Axis Solar Tracker 41 
Figure 16: (a) Analog Input Channels and (b) Recorded Data 42 
Instantaneousi v 
Figure 17: Experimental Setup for the CST using PTC System liar water 44 
Heating Application 
Figure 18: Research Flow Chart 45 
Figure 19: Comparison of Water Outlet Temperature Rise liar Automatic 54 
PTC Tracking System and Manual PTC System with Varying 
Solar Insolation 
XI 
Figure 20: Variation of Ambient Temperature and Humidity with Solar 54 
lnsolation 
Figure 21: Variation of Water Temperature Rise and Solar Insolation 56 
Throughout the Time Taken During the Experiment for Close 
System 
Figure 22: Variation of Water Temperature Rise and Solar Insolation 57 
Throughout the Time Taken During the Experiment for Open 
System 
Figure 23: Comparison between the Water Temperature with Solar 58 
Insolation for Open and Close System 
Figure 24: Comparison between Rates of Water Heat Absorption 58 
between Close and Open System as a Function of Solar 
(isolation 
Figure 255: Efficiency of 1 cm and 2 cm Tube Receivers with Solar 60 
lnsolation Obtained by the Open, Uncovered Tracking System 
Figure 26: Efficiency of 2 cm Diameter Copper Tube Receiver 61 
Encapsulate inside the Cover with Solar lnsolation Obtained 
with Open, Automatic Tracking System 
Figure 27: Efficiency of 2 cm Diameter of Copper Tube Receiver 62 
without Cove-Box with Solar hlsolation Obtained by the 
Open, Automatic Tracking System 
Figure 28: Comparison between Efficiency of 2 cm diameter of Copper 62 
Tube Receiver Encapsulate inside Cover-Box and without 
Cover with Solar Insolation Obtained by Open, Automatic 
Tracking System 
Figure 29: Influence of wind speed of covered and uncovered 2 cm 63 
diameter copper tube receiver with time obtained by the open, 
automatic tracking system 
Figure 30: Influence of humidity of covered and uncovered 2 cm 64 
diameter copper tube receiver with time obtained by the open, 
automatic tracking system. 
XII 
Figure 31: Efficiency of 1 cm diameter of copper tube receiver 65 
encapsulate inside box cover with solar insolation obtained by 
the open, automatic tracking system. 
Figure 32: Efficiency of 1 cm diameter of copper tube receiver without 65 
box cover with solar insolation obtained by the open, 
automatic tracking system. 
Figure 33: Comparison between efficiency of 1 cm diameter of' copper 66 
tube receive encapsulate inside box cover and without box 
cover with solar insolation obtained by the open, automatic 
tracking system. 
Figure 34: Influence of wind speed and efficiency to covered and 67 
uncovered 1 cm diameter copper tube receiver with solar 
insolation obtained by the open, automatic tracking system. 
Figure 35: Efficiency of 2 cm diameter of' aluminum and copper tube 6$ 
receiver with solar insolation obtained by the open, covered, 
automatic tracking system. 
Figure 36: Solar insolation change with time recorded for 2 cm diameter 69 
of Aluminum and Copper tube receiver obtained by the open, 
automatic tracking system. 
Figure 37: Variation of Humidity and wind speed measured on 2 cm 70 
diameter of Aluminum and Copper tube receiver with solar 
insolation obtained by the open, automatic tracking system. 
Figure 38: Thermal efficiency curve for 2 cm covered Aluminum tube. 74 
Figure 39: Thermal efficiency curve for 2 cm covered copper tube. 74 
Figure 40: Thermal efficiency curve for 2 cm non-covered copper tube. 75 
Figure 41: Thermal efficiency curve fir I cm covered copper tube. 75 
Figure 42: Thermal efficiency curve for I cm non-covered copper tube. 76 
xiii 
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ABBREVIATIONS 
Direct Solar Insolation 
Tilt Angle 
Inlet Temperature 
Outlet Temperature 
Aperture Area of the Collector 
Aperture Weight 
Specific Heat Capacity 
Receivers Diameter 
Focal Length 
Heat Removal Factor 
Length of'the Collector 
Length of the Receiver 
Mass Flow Rate 
Useful Heat Energy Gained 
Radius of the Parabola 
Heat loss Coefficient (W/m') 
Collector Absoptance 
Angle of'Incidence 
Declamation 
Optical Efficiency 
Angle between the Incident flux and normal 
to a Plane Surface 
Transmittance 
Surface Azimuth Angle 
Rim Angle 
Hour Angle 
Zenith Angle 
Collators Thermal Efficiency 
Absolute Temperature 
Concentrated Solar Thermal 
Concentrated Solar Power 
Parabolic Trough Solar Collector 
Hot Water System