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Novel design of parabolic trough concentrator-solar reactor for pyrolysis of waste salt

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  • Dong, Z.J.
  • He, Y.
  • Tao, Y.B.

Abstract

Parabolic trough concentrator (PTC) can be used as heat source of solar pyrolysis reactor (SPR) to pyrolyze organic impurities in waste salt. However, the conventional PTC-SPR is prone to two significant issues, uneven energy flux distribution and excessive temperature difference (ΔT). To address those issues, this study proposes a novel SPR structure featuring two semi-circular tubes with a gap width of H. A design method for the secondary plane reflector is established and the effect of H on energy flux distribution is investigated. The optimal H of 50 mm is identified, improving energy flux uniformity by 30.36 % compared to the conventional design. Photothermal coupling and pyrolysis performance analyses confirm that H = 50 mm delivers optimal results: ΔT is reduced by 75.20 %, reaction completion time (tend) is shortened by 7.89 %, and thermal efficiency (ηT) is enhanced by 3.68 %. Furthermore, preheating the waste salt accentuates the advantages of the novel PTC-SPR. This work provides significant insights for designing and applying PTC-SPR systems for the removal of organic impurities from industrial waste salts.

Suggested Citation

  • Dong, Z.J. & He, Y. & Tao, Y.B., 2025. "Novel design of parabolic trough concentrator-solar reactor for pyrolysis of waste salt," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 337(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:337:y:2025:i:c:s036054422504246x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.138604
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