Renewable energy sources and systems have become popular topics of study for thermal engineering
students. This article presents the design, development, testing and evaluation of an educational single-axis solar
tracking parabolic trough collector that represents a standalone system to produce process heat at a moderate
temperature for instructional and demonstrative purposes. The parabolic trough solar collector consists of a stainless
steel parabolic reflector, a flat solar receiver, a thermal storage tank and a closed loop tracking system. The tracking
system comprises electro-mechanical components such as a control box, a DC motor, a photo sensor and a gear box.
A small power unit, which consists of a 12 V battery and two photovoltaic panels, is used to power the tracking systems.
This apparatus is compact and portable. The system was designed and built in house with the help of a senior design
team. The unit has been used in applied thermal science courses, such as renewable energy as a demonstration unit. This
type of activity serves to enhance the students’ understanding of renewable energy sources and energy conversion
processes. The feedback from the students was very positive and they feel that such apparatus has enhanced their
learning of renewable energy and heat transfer concepts.