Temperature homogenization control of parabolic trough solar collector field

The collector fields of large-scale commercial trough solar power stations often face inhomogeneities in environmental parameters and resistance to flow in the pipe network. Aiming at dealing with the problem of uneven distribution of hydraulic parameters and radiation in large collector fields, this study establishes a heat transfer model and a hydraulic model of the collector field and proposes a control strategy for the heat transfer fluid (HTF) flow in the parabolic trough collector (PTC) loops. Based on the proposed hydraulic model, the loop valve opening is directly calculated and fast control of the loop HTF flow is achieved. Simulation results show that the scheme significantly reduces the differences in HTF temperature at the outlet of the PTC loops.