Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University discusses a master’s thesis on numerical and optical analysis of concentrated solar energy in a cavity-type solar reactor using the Monte Carlo ray-tracing method.

The Technical Engineering College in Najaf, affiliated with Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, discussed a master’s thesis titled:

“Numerical and Optical Analysis of Solar Power Concentrated in a Cavity-Type Solar Reactor Using the Monte Carlo (MC) Ray Tracing Method.”

The thesis, presented by Ali Karim Mohammed from the Department of Power Mechanics Engineering Technologies, aims to conduct numerical and optical analysis of concentrated solar energy in a cavity-type solar reactor using the Monte Carlo ray-tracing (MCRT) method.

The study involved numerical and optical modeling of solar energy distribution reflected from a parabolic dish to a solar reactor, examining the thermal and optical variations resulting from solar energy concentration inside the reactor by analyzing various parameters.

The researcher found that the adopted algorithm demonstrated high accuracy in ray modeling. The study also revealed that the geometric shape, dimensions of the solar reactor, and volumetric flow rate of the working fluid significantly impact the temperature distribution within the reactor.

Key Recommendations:

• Studying the dimensions of the parabolic dish for optimized energy concentration.
• Installing a window at the solar radiation inlet to enhance efficiency.
• Implementing automatic control of the inlet aperture diameter and fluid flow rate for improved performance.

Additionally, two research papers from this study were published in Clarivate and Scopus-indexed journals (Q3 category), with one published by Elsevier and the other by AIP Publishing.