Simple Solar Trough Collector with Pumped Heat Storage

This is really the beginnings of a more complicated hybrid system for electrical generation. In this phase, I use some 6" PVC pipe cut in 3rds lengthwise to make semi-parabolic reflectors. I am using reflective film from greenpowerscience.com initially, but will likely play with different reflective coatings later. The trough is oriented north to south to accommodate seasonal changes in sun angle. The array is actively pointed east to west to track the sun. Parabolic mirror concentration is used to achieve high fluid temperatures while minimizing radiation from the hot tubes. Water then eventually oil is pumped through tubes that are located at the focal point of the reflectors to an insulated storage tank. The scope of this project is to simply create the collectors, the pointing mechanism, and the storage tank. Later projects will incorporate water heating exchangers and electrical power generation like stirling engines or TEG devices.