Numerical and experimental investigations of dust effect on CSP performance under United Arab Emirates weather conditions

Abstract Dust is one of the main challenges in implementing concentrating solar power (CSP) systems in arid and semi-arid zones. The characterization of dust particles and the measure of the soiling loss effects under real operating conditions can be useful to select the appropriate cleaning methods and frequency. In this study, experimental and numerical investigations were carried out to study the characteristics of dust particles and their effects on the CSP performance under UAE weather conditions. The results showed that the soiling rate is correlated to the wind speed and direction. The monthly soiling effect was evaluated for 5 months of exposure with the highest decrease recorded in March. The results of cumulative dust experiment showed a drop in specular reflectivity by about 63% after 3 months of exposure. Based on the experimental data, the power soiling loss and thermal performance were determined for a parabolic trough solar collector. The predicted results were in consistence with the dust accumulation leading to a 36% decrease in thermal efficiency. In addition, the power soiling loss was compared with that of PV technology, and it was found that soiling effect is more pronounced in CSP systems by 3–5 times drop in performance.

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