Design of a Bidirectional Piston Pump with Solar Linear Parabolic Concentrator Excitation
نویسندگان
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, I.R. IRAN
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, I.R. IRAN
3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, I.R. IRAN
4 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, I.R. IRAN
doi
10.30492/ijcce.2026.2079349.7403چکیده
Water scarcity is an urgent issue in dry and semi-dry regions, including central Iran, where population growth, agricultural demand, and climate variability create a growing need for inter-basin water transfer systems. Current water pumping systems rely on fossil fuels or grid electricity, resulting in high operating costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and unreliable operation in remote areas with limited power supply. Renewable energy sources, particularly solar energy, offer a sustainable long-term solution. Iran benefits from abundant solar resources, with an annual Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) exceeding 2200 kWh/m² and nearly 300 sunny days per year in central regions. While photovoltaic (PV) systems are the most common solar pumping technology due to modularity and declining costs, they require electrical conversion stages (inverters and batteries) that introduce 10–20% energy losses and added complexity in off-grid applications. In contrast, direct solar-thermal systems bypass electrical conversion, potentially achieving higher overall efficiency for mechanical pumping. This study proposes a novel electricity-free, direct steam-actuated double-acting reciprocating piston pump driven by a linear Parabolic Trough Concentrator (PTC) for high-head (150–200 m) water transfer, tailored to Iran's geographical conditions and solar conditions.
