An absorber of parabolic trough collector for hydrogen production in a solid oxide fuel cell

Sustainable energy development is a globally attractive and indispensable research area. An effective design process and good sustainable sources are crucial for meeting the objective. This investigation utilizes solar energy by utilizing an effectively designed the integration of two-parabolic trough collector (PTC) with an area of 2.8 m2 to operate Rankine cycle-based fuel cell for hydrogen production. The heat transfer rate is optimized for maximum net energy production to operate the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to maximize the hydrogen production by experimenting with the solar heating system with 3 different heat transfer fluid (HTF) flow rates such as 0.12 kg/s, 0.27 kg/s, and 0.38 kg/s. The experimental outcomes at each flow rate setting were analyzed in such a way that solar radiation received, inlet and outlet temperatures of HTF with respect to clock time, Useful heat gain and Thermal efficiency of solar heating system with respect to solar radiation received and rate of Hydrogen production (kg/s) and Net power output (kW) by sustainable solar power generation arrangement were analyzed with respect to solar radiation received. The results recommended that the flow rate of 0.38 kg/s recorded the highest thermal efficiency 82%, for the heat gain of 27589 kW. Increasing the flow velocity of HTF improves both the solar collector's efficiency and the electrical energy for the fuel cell. As a result, more solar energy is falling on the absorber and enhances the rate of hydrogen production. A preliminary cost analysis was conducted for the PTC system integrated with the hydrogen production system to determine the electric cost based on the solar advisor model (SAM). A black coating material was used to absorb more solar radiation from the PTC.