A low cost portable parabolic solar concentrator for combined heat and power

This paper details the development of a portable parabolic solar concentrator system. The prototype is designed to be able to provide high quality heat or steam using a mobile, self contained system. A UV stable thermoplastic mirror is coupled with a lightweight parabolic frame and a vacuum insulated heat collection pipe. The system features a novel heliostat design, allowing simple collector scalability to virtually any size. A 1.5 square meter mirror was prototyped and tested to compare the design's performance with traditional stationary parabolic solar concentrators. The durability, cost, and set-up procedure for the system is also commented upon. In addition, this paper describes the possible applications of the system including desalination, power generation, and industrial heat supply.