Appendices - GSA

The application modeled in this study is hot water heating. It is not cost effective
for several reasons.
Solar industrial process heat systems use parabolic trough solar collectors to
focus the sun’s rays onto a receiver pipe running down the focal line of the
trough. The receiver pipe is surrounded by a glass cover pipe to prevent heat
loss. Motors and controls track the azimuth of the sun from east-to-west in a
north-south oriented trough for maximum gain. The concentrating collectors
require direct sun with minimal clouds, moisture or dust. The desert southwest,
which has many clear sunny days every year, is considered the most viable
region for these concentrating systems.
Figure A-18: Illustration of a parabolic trough solar collector
Figure A-19: Illustration of a receiver pipe
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