IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v324y2025ics0360544225016160.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Experimental study on the influence of rainfall and compressed airflow dust removal on the optical performance of trough solar concentrator in alpine areas

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Zhimin
  • Wang, Xing
  • Yuan, Tuo
  • Yue, Shangyu
  • Kong, Fance

Abstract

The performance of trough solar systems is significantly affected by dust in outdoor environments. Typical climate in alpine areas, varying rainfall during summer have a dual effect on the cleaning of trough concentrators. This study experimentally investigates the impact of rainfall on the optical performance of concentrators in alpine areas. Rainwater and dust mixing would lead to more significant dust adhesion, compressed air was used to further remove dust. Finally, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to analyze the influence of various factors affecting the cleaning efficiency. The results indicate that: small-rainfall has a dual cleaning effect on the concentrator, with a threshold observed between 2 and 5.4 mm, beyond which there is a positive cleaning effect. High-rainfall improves cleaning efficiency by 38 %–50 %. After combined medium-rainfall and a 0.4 MPa compressed air flow, the cleaning efficiency can reach 70 %, when the nozzle angle is 33°, the cleaning efficiency of lower concentrators region 1 can reach 24.239 %, the reflectivity is over 0.8, indicating that compressed airflow for cleaning after rainfall is effective. The RSM indicates the rainfall has the most significant effect. The study can provide theoretical guidance for the clean and efficient operation in solar power plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Zhimin & Wang, Xing & Yuan, Tuo & Yue, Shangyu & Kong, Fance, 2025. "Experimental study on the influence of rainfall and compressed airflow dust removal on the optical performance of trough solar concentrator in alpine areas," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:324:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225016160
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.135974
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225016160
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.135974?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dahlioui, Dounia & El Hamdani, Fayrouz & Djdiaa, Abdelali & Martínez López, Teodoro & Bouzekri, Hicham, 2023. "Assessment of dry and wet cleaning of aluminum mirrors toward water consumption reduction," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 248-255.
    2. Ayou, Dereje S. & Coronas, Alberto, 2024. "Performance simulation of solar-driven absorption heat pump-membrane distillation system for combined desalination brine concentration with feed recirculation and cooling applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    3. Bouaddi, S. & Ihlal, A. & Fernández-García, A., 2017. "Comparative analysis of soiling of CSP mirror materials in arid zones," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 437-449.
    4. Yao, Wanxiang & Kong, Xiangru & Xu, Ai & Xu, Puyan & Wang, Yan & Gao, Weijun, 2023. "New models for the influence of rainwater on the performance of photovoltaic modules under different rainfall conditions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    5. Wu, Ze & Yan, Suying & Wang, Zefeng & Ming, Tingzhen & Zhao, Xiaoyan & Ma, Rui & Wu, Yuting, 2020. "The effect of dust accumulation on the cleanliness factor of a parabolic trough solar concentrator," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 529-539.
    6. Moghimi, M.A. & Ahmadi, G., 2018. "Wind barriers optimization for minimizing collector mirror soiling in a parabolic trough collector plant," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 413-423.
    7. Zheng, Chuanxiao & Lu, Hao & Zhao, Wenjun, 2024. "Research of dust removal performance and power output characteristics on photovoltaic panels by longitudinal high-speed airflow," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    8. Chen, Jinxin & Pan, Guobing & Ouyang, Jing & Ma, Jin & Fu, Lei & Zhang, Libin, 2020. "Study on impacts of dust accumulation and rainfall on PV power reduction in East China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    9. Kumar, Abhinav, 2025. "Comparative investigations on thermal performance assessment of a linear parabolic trough solar collector using various nanofluids and incident angles," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    10. He, Beihua & Lu, Hao & Zheng, Chuanxiao & Wang, Yanlin, 2023. "Characteristics and cleaning methods of dust deposition on solar photovoltaic modules-A review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PE).
    11. Bi, Yuehong & Qin, Lifeng & Guo, Jimeng & Li, Hongyan & Zang, Gaoli, 2020. "Performance analysis of solar air conditioning system based on the independent-developed solar parabolic trough collector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    12. Wang, Zhimin & Kong, Fance & Yuan, Tuo & Deng, Tianrui, 2024. "Study on the influence of dust accumulation on the optical performance of trough solar concentrator under different rainfall intensities based on alpine areas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    13. Jing-hu, Gong & Yong, Li & Jun, Wang & Lund, Peter, 2023. "Performance optimization of larger-aperture parabolic trough concentrator solar power station using multi-stage heating technology," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    14. Boeing, A. & Neda, M. & Steinberg, S. & Batista, J., 2022. "The impact of lower quality water on soiling removal from photovoltaic panels," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Conceição, Ricardo & González-Aguilar, José & Merrouni, Ahmed Alami & Romero, Manuel, 2022. "Soiling effect in solar energy conversion systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    2. Fan, Siyuan & Wang, Xiao & Cao, Shengxian & Wang, Yu & Zhang, Yanhui & Liu, Bingzheng, 2022. "A novel model to determine the relationship between dust concentration and energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) panels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    3. Qi, Jiacheng & Dong, Qichang & Song, Ye & Zhao, Xiaoqing & Shi, Long, 2025. "Combining dust scaling behaviors of PV panels and water cleaning methods," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    4. Han, Zunshi & Lu, Hao & Zhao, Wenjun, 2024. "Effect of different PV modules surface energies and surface types on the particle deposition characteristics and PV efficiency," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(PB).
    5. Li, Fuxiang & Yuan, Ziming & Wu, Wei, 2024. "Experimental investigation of soiling losses on photovoltaic in high-density urban environments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 369(C).
    6. Yan, Suying & Zhao, Sitong & Ma, Xiaodong & Ming, Tingzhen & Wu, Ze & Zhao, Xiaoyan & Ma, Rui, 2020. "Thermoelectric and exergy output performance of a Fresnel-based HCPV/T at different dust densities," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 801-811.
    7. Sahar Bouaddi & Aránzazu Fernández-García & Chris Sansom & Jon Ander Sarasua & Fabian Wolfertstetter & Hicham Bouzekri & Florian Sutter & Itiziar Azpitarte, 2018. "A Review of Conventional and Innovative- Sustainable Methods for Cleaning Reflectors in Concentrating Solar Power Plants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-25, October.
    8. Yang, Liu & Du, Kai, 2020. "Thermo-economic analysis of a novel parabolic trough solar collector equipped with preheating system and canopy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    9. Wang, Zhimin & Kong, Fance & Yuan, Tuo & Deng, Tianrui, 2024. "Study on the influence of dust accumulation on the optical performance of trough solar concentrator under different rainfall intensities based on alpine areas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    10. Parsay, Alireza & Gandomzadeh, Mahdi & Yaghoubi, Ali Akbar & Hoorsun, Arman & Gholami, Aslan & Zandi, Majid & Gavagsaz-ghoachani, Roghayeh & Kazem, Hussein A., 2025. "Enhancing photovoltaic efficiency: An in-depth systematic review and critical analysis of dust monitoring, mitigation, and cleaning techniques," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 388(C).
    11. Yao, Wanxiang & Xu, Ai & Kong, Xiangru & Wang, Yan & Li, Xianli & Gao, Weijun, 2024. "Analysis of dust deposition law at the micro level and its impact on the annual performance of photovoltaic modules," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    12. Zheng, Lingwei & Su, Ran & Sun, Xinyu & Guo, Siqi, 2023. "Historical PV-output characteristic extraction based weather-type classification strategy and its forecasting method for the day-ahead prediction of PV output," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    13. Firoozzadeh, Mohammad & Shiravi, Amir Hossein & Lotfi, Marzieh & Aidarova, Saule & Sharipova, Altynay, 2021. "Optimum concentration of carbon black aqueous nanofluid as coolant of photovoltaic modules: A case study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    14. Wu, Yubo & Du, Jianqiang & Liu, Guangxin & Ma, Danzhu & Jia, Fengrui & Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Wang, Jin, 2022. "A review of self-cleaning technology to reduce dust and ice accumulation in photovoltaic power generation using superhydrophobic coating," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 1034-1061.
    15. Ajbar, Wassila & Parrales, A. & Huicochea, A. & Hernández, J.A., 2022. "Different ways to improve parabolic trough solar collectors’ performance over the last four decades and their applications: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    16. Enaganti, Prasanth K. & Bhattacharjee, Ankur & Ghosh, Aritra & Chanchangi, Yusuf N. & Chakraborty, Chanchal & Mallick, Tapas K. & Goel, Sanket, 2022. "Experimental investigations for dust build-up on low-iron glass exterior and its effects on the performance of solar PV systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    17. Teerapath Limboonruang & Muyiwa Oyinlola & Dani Harmanto & Pracha Bunyawanichakul & Nittalin Phunapai, 2023. "Optimizing Solar Parabolic Trough Receivers with External Fins: An Experimental Study on Enhancing Heat Transfer and Thermal Efficiency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-22, September.
    18. Gao, Xifeng & Li, Yichu & Liu, Mengmeng & Lian, Jijian & Ma, Qian & Zhang, Ju & Wu, Sheng & Cui, Yiming, 2025. "An exploratory framework for analyzing the impact of salt deposition on offshore photovoltaic system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    19. Lv, Ruidong & Zha, Xudong & Hu, Hengwu & Lei, Bingbing & Niu, Chao, 2025. "A review on the influencing factors of solar pavement power generation efficiency," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 379(C).
    20. Chiteka, Kudzanayi & Arora, Rajesh & Sridhara, S.N. & Enweremadu, C.C., 2021. "Optimizing wind barrier and photovoltaic array configuration in soiling mitigation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 225-236.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:324:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225016160. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.