Joe Shinners

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• Joe Shinners
• M.S. Graduate Student
• Mechanical Engineering
• Office 1337 ERB
• Email jshinners_at_wisc.edu
• Hometown Raleigh, NC

Thesis Modeling and Validation of Dual Loop
Design for Solar Parabolic Trough
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Background

• The efficiencies of concentrating solar power
  plants are restricted due to the temperature
  limit of the organic heat transfer fluid
• Organic heat transfer fluids begin to break down
  at 400C
• A potential solution to give greater efficiency
  is to add a second loop with a molten salt (ex.
  60 NaNO3/40 KNO3), which can be heated to a
  higher temperature.
• Issues with using any molten salt includes
  freezing at temperatures around 220C and pipe
  corrosion

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Schematic
Schematic from Christoph Lang and John Cuthbert
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Goals and Objectives

• Assess the validity of Dual Loop parabolic trough
  design in comparison with the standard parabolic
  trough design through the creation of a
  comprehensive model.
• Compare the land area required for both systems.
• Identify potential issues with use of molten salt
  as a heat transfer fluid.
• Identify any other potential efficiency gains in
  the system.