Parabolic trough
The biggest and the hugest facility of solar power uses a parabolic trough and is located in California, Mojave Desert at Kramer Junction. Operational since the 1980’s this facility has the credit of producing the maximum mount of solar electricity in the electric power department in the year 2004.A parabolic trough collector is made up of a linear parabolic shaped reflector that reflects the radiation of the sun at a point where the receiver has been put in the middle of the parabola. The collector is made so as to track the sun continuously throughout the day so that the sun does not get out of focus and electricity is produced continuously from the parabolic receiver. The continuous focus of the sun on the receiver ensures that the suns energy is always received and converted by the receiver. Te intensity of the sun is further more focused due to the shape of the trough, the trough shape makes sure that the intensity of the sun is more by approximately 300% than a normal flat surface. The operating temperatures often reach a mind-boggling 400 degrees Celsius.
A field of collectors consists of a huge field of parabolic trough collectors operating on a single axis. This large field is of a modular nature and is comprised of a lot of parallel rows of solar collectors facing in a north south direction on a horizontal axis. The fluid used to generate super hot steam is put into pipes and is worked around its way to the parabolic troughs to collect the heat and then deposits it to a central location where is high pressure super heated steam is the generated. This steam is thereafter fed into a typical turbine, which is then used to produce the electricity. The cooled fluid after passing through the heat exchangers is then again sent to collect more heat, and the process is started all over again. The plant is usually made to be self sustaining and does not need any such outside energy source, but a hybrid solar or fossil fuel fueled working facility is also kept in abeyance for the periods of low solar activity.
