Simulation and Analysis of Fresnel lens Solar Furnace for Aluminium Can Recycling in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the solar furnace potentials in the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. The simulation of a Fresnel lens solar furnace for aluminium beverage can recycling have been done. For the simulation, a 1000mm diameter spot Fresnel lens for solar radiation concentration was used. Software tools such as TracePro and SolidWorks were utilized for the simulation study. Radiations from the sun are converged to a point by the Fresnel lens. Solar radiation concentration by the Fresnel lens was simulated in TracePro, and then the resultant heat flux was used in SolidWorks to determine the temperatures attainable and the thermal stress produced by the solar intensities. The solar insolation used for this analysis is limited to the average solar insolation in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, as obtained from The Global Solar Atlas solar resource map of Nigeria which details the average daily and yearly solar insolation from 1994-2018 (Solargis, 2020). The analysis shows that for a 1000mm diameter fresnel lens, 312.83W/m² minimum solar radiation is required to raise the temperature of aluminium to 1006.171℃ which is above the pouring temperature (750^oC) of aluminium. A fresnel lens of bigger diameter will be required in Southern Nigeria to attain the same heat intensity that a fresnel lens of smaller diameter will attain in Northern Nigeria. The heat flux at the focal point is directly proportional to the diameter of the Fresnel lens i.e. the bigger the Fresnel lens diameter the higher/hotter the heat flux at the focus.