Development and Performance Evaluation of a Linear Fresnel Concentrator for Heating Water

Linear Fresnel Concentrator is a type of solar concentrator that uses a series of flat or slightly curved mirrors to focus sunlight onto a linear receiver tube. “The Development and Performance Evaluation of a Linear Fresnel Concentrator (LFC) for heating water was evaluated.” The LFC system utilizes locally sourced materials to develop the solar tracking system, automated control and a water heating system to optimize energy output. Performance evaluation results shows hourly readings of the ambient, absorber and reservoir temperatures which were recorded between 9:00 am and 04:00 pm but between the hours of 12:00 pm and 4.00 pm, hot water temperatures of above 50oC were achieved. Moreover, the maximum hot water temperature achieved was 96.69oC while the peak hot water temperature was 93.98oC and a thermal efficiency of 40.27%. Readings were taken for a period four days. Hence, the automated LFC system demonstrates the potential for cost-effective and sustainable water heating, particularly in regions with high solar irradiance.