Proposal for the implementation of parabolic trough solar collector technology in the Guairá sugarcane industry

Abstract

This work aimed to define a hybridization model between parabolic trough solar technology and the cogeneration sys­tem of a standard sugar mill, for the total or partial replacement of unsustainable biomass from native forests, and to obtain the annual power and energy response through simulation with the specialized thermal systems software TRNSYS 018. The simulation sugar mill was located in the city of Tebicuary in the department of Guairá, Paraguay, the region with the highest sugarcane production in the country, whose meteorological and radiation data were obtained through the PVGIS tool and validated with data from local sources. A solar field area of 64,102.56 m2 consisting of 1626 collectors was calculated. Thermal fluid outlet temperature, useful power, and annual accumulated useful energy values were obtained that exceeded the reference values by 8 to 10 hours in June and by 10 to 12 hours in November. The monthly gross and annual accumulated electrical energy obtained are within the order of magnitude expected for high-pressure turbines, implying a good response from the proposed hybrid system.