Parabolic Trough Solar Field Technology

Parabolic troughs belong to the last category I mentioned, concentrated solar power. It is one of the ways of redirecting sunlight and focusing it on a central point.

The focal point (where all the sunlight converges) will become extremely hot, hot enough to melt steel if large enough parabolic reflector is used.

To utilize the heat generated at by the parabolic reflector, a tube is placed at the focal point and a liquid is pumped through the tube. Due to the amount of heat generated, the liquid inside the tube is rapidly heated and turned into steam.

Steam then travels through a piping system to a steam turbine, where it is used to generate electricity. And that is what concentrated solar power is in all its simplicity.

Several different methods have been developed in order to achieve the same result, all of which fall under concentrated solar power technology. Another good example are solar towers.

A parabolic trough power plant consists of a solar field, a number of parabolic mirrors in the form of troughs alongside each other. There are many parallel rows of these solar collectors across the solar field (see picture).

A heat collection element, in the form of tubing placed at the focal point of the troughs, fluid is then pumped through the tubing and is heated as it passes along the sections of parabolic troughs.

The heated fluid is then converted to steam and lead to steam turbines which in turn convert it into electricity.

That's the basic setup of a parabolic trough energy plant.

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