Abstract

In this work, the behavior of a solar thermal pilot plant installed in a copper mine in the north of Chile is investigated. The pilot plant is directly connected to the water circuit used to heat the electrolyte in the electrowinning processes. For a detailed monitoring of the system, the pilot plant counts with several measuring instruments. Recorded data are compared with results obtained in TRNSYS simulations. In addition to that, because of the high dust deposition on the solar plant, effects of soiling on the system are also investigated. Hence, this paper has the twofold objective of validating the TRNSYS model for future scale up of the solar thermal plant and at the same time to determine the effect of the dust on the collector.