Advances on the Development of the Parabolic Trough Technology in Mexico

AbstractThe current tendencies of the concentrating solar technologies present an excellent potential to contribute in next decades with a significant way to the electric power production and process heat for industrial uses. Concentrating solar technologies are appropriate for a wide range of applications in the process heat generation and of great utility for the industry that requires thermal energy for their processes. Among solar thermal concentrating technologies, parabolic trough technology is one of the most promising in such sense. In an industrial installation the solar system could give heat for the preheating of water and even steam generation. For testing purposes and for demonstration of the parabolic trough technology several prototypes have been developed by the Electric Research Institute (IIE). Each prototype includes a parabolic trough concentrator, mounted on a one-axis tracking structure. Anodized aluminum sheet with a solar reflectivity of 90% was used as reflective material. These prototypes were installed in different places and provided a lot information concerning to the operation and maintenance activities, elaboration of methodological guides for the development of similar applications and the identification and establishment of mechanisms of collaboration with national industry to involve them in the technological development of parabolic trough components. Recently the IIE erected a small experimental facility in a local University near Cuernavaca, Mexico. In this paper, we present the design features as well as the construction development of the prototypes. Also, the operational experience and the maintenance strategies on the reflective surface, the tracking system and lessons learned over the time are described