Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of Recyclable Material-Based Parabolic Solar Concentrators

This study presents the design and experimental evaluation of a low-cost parabolic solar concentrator fabricated primarily from recyclable materials. Three reflector configurations—aluminum foil, Plexiglass mirror tiles, and a hybrid design with a peripheral aluminum foil strip—were experimentally assessed to examine their effects on solar concentration performance. A novel foldable and adjustable tripod-mounted receiver was introduced to improve focal alignment, portability, and mechanical stability by isolating the receiver load from the dish structure. Results indicate that Plexiglass mirror tiles significantly enhance thermal performance compared to aluminum foil, while the hybrid configuration achieved the highest receiver temperature of 53 °C under controlled radiation conditions. The findings demonstrate that efficient and portable parabolic solar concentrators can be developed using inexpensive and recyclable materials for small-scale solar thermal applications.