Modified Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) System Using Parabolic Stirling Dish Approach for Electricity Generation: A Review

This study presents a modified Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) system that integrates the parabolic Stirling dish approach for enhanced electricity generation efficiency and scalability. The research addresses the inherent limitations of conventional CSP technologies as high capital cost, heat losses, and limited adaptability for decentralized applications, by developing a cost-effective prototype using locally available materials. The system employs a synthetic reflective dish to concentrate solar irradiance onto a pressure pot, which generates steam to drive a single-stage turbine coupled to a DC generator. Key performance metrics, including concentration ratio, heat flux, mass flow rate, energy transfer, and turbine output power, were derived and analysed. Results show that increasing the collector area while maintaining a constant receiver area proportionally improves heat flux and thermal efficiency, whereas increasing the receiver area reduces energy concentration. Similarly, higher mass flow rates and greater enthalpy differences significantly enhance turbine output. The study demonstrates that the modified Stirling dish-based CSP system achieves efficient energy conversion and operational stability while remaining scalable and economically viable for rural electrification and small-scale industrial applications.