Scholarlink

<p>Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the production of complex Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) receiver geometries that are unachievable with conventional manufacturing, improving thermal efficiency and reducing absorber tube circumferential temperature gradients. However, the higher production cost remains a major limitation. This work presents the development of a cost model to estimate the total cost of a metal 3D-printed solar absorber tube for a PTC. The model is geometry-aware, explicitly incorporating geometric complexity into cost estimation. Geometric complexity is defined as a function of design decision variables, directly linking design choices to build time and overall cost. The model incorporates all relevant cost drivers often overlooked in conventional approaches. Validation against literature data demonstrates that the model achieves high structural accuracy and practical applicability for estimating direct manufacturing costs in geometry-driven AM processes. The cost analysis examines two novel PTC absorber tube configurations previously developed by the authors: Configuration 1 features longitudinal internal fins whose height gradually increases from the inlet to the outlet. Configuration 2 comprises a concentric inner tube with a spiral cut inserted inside the absorber, combined with longitudinal fins. Cost analysis is performed for both AM technologies: Laser Powder Bed Fusion for metals (PBF-LB/M) and Laser-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED-LB). Results show that for both AM technologies, Configuration 2 as the more complex is approximately 9% more expensive than configuration 1. Comparing technologies, the estimated cost of PBF-LB/M is roughly 55% higher than DED-LB, mainly due to longer build times, higher machine rates, and increased overheads. For PBF-LB/M, machine, material, and overhead costs account for over 95% of the total cost, while for DED-LB, machine, material, labor, and overhead collectively constitute nearly 99%. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating geometric complexity into cost models for AM, providing a reliable tool for the economic assessment of advanced PTC receiver designs.</p>

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Cost modeling of innovative metal 3D printed solar absorber tubes for high-efficiency parabolic trough collector

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月12日

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  • Meriem Chaanaoui,
  • Justin Byiringiro,
  • Belkheir Hammouti

摘要

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the production of complex Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) receiver geometries that are unachievable with conventional manufacturing, improving thermal efficiency and reducing absorber tube circumferential temperature gradients. However, the higher production cost remains a major limitation. This work presents the development of a cost model to estimate the total cost of a metal 3D-printed solar absorber tube for a PTC. The model is geometry-aware, explicitly incorporating geometric complexity into cost estimation. Geometric complexity is defined as a function of design decision variables, directly linking design choices to build time and overall cost. The model incorporates all relevant cost drivers often overlooked in conventional approaches. Validation against literature data demonstrates that the model achieves high structural accuracy and practical applicability for estimating direct manufacturing costs in geometry-driven AM processes. The cost analysis examines two novel PTC absorber tube configurations previously developed by the authors: Configuration 1 features longitudinal internal fins whose height gradually increases from the inlet to the outlet. Configuration 2 comprises a concentric inner tube with a spiral cut inserted inside the absorber, combined with longitudinal fins. Cost analysis is performed for both AM technologies: Laser Powder Bed Fusion for metals (PBF-LB/M) and Laser-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED-LB). Results show that for both AM technologies, Configuration 2 as the more complex is approximately 9% more expensive than configuration 1. Comparing technologies, the estimated cost of PBF-LB/M is roughly 55% higher than DED-LB, mainly due to longer build times, higher machine rates, and increased overheads. For PBF-LB/M, machine, material, and overhead costs account for over 95% of the total cost, while for DED-LB, machine, material, labor, and overhead collectively constitute nearly 99%. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating geometric complexity into cost models for AM, providing a reliable tool for the economic assessment of advanced PTC receiver designs.