Analysis of an asymptotic thermofluid dynamic model for parabolic trough power plants

Abstract Parabolic trough power plants transform solar radiative energy into thermal energy which is then typically used to produce electricity. We consider a model derived in [2, 3] to describe parabolic trough power plants. In particular, the thermofluid dynamics is studied in a single collector pipe where the solar radiation is concentrated. The model is the result of simplifying assumptions and asymptotic processes on the underlying mass, momentum and energy balance equations. We show existence of solutions for the model. In addition, we study the longtime behavior and the stationary problem.