Determinación de la eficiencia óptica de un colector disco parabólico prototipo.

Today, the development of human life depends on the supply of energy obtained mainly from fossil fuels. This resource is limited and its availability finite. Solar energy can meet the needs of the global population. Concentrated solar energy uses a mirrored surfaces that reflects and concentrates the rays in a receiver that absorbs the solar energy transferring it as heat to the fluid that circulates inside it and that can be used in processes that need thermal energy. The efficiency of the system depends on the optical quality of the concentrating mirror. In this paper, the optical efficiency(ηop) of a prototype parabolic disk is determined using a calorimeter, which acts as a receiver, being the value ηop=0,71±0,02. The method is validated by applying a modified Hartmann's optical scanning test, the values wereηop=0,70±0,02 for the of intercept factor method and ηop=0,69±0,02 for the optical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]