This paper presents experimental performance evaluation of a solar parabolic-trough collector (Model TE 38) in Bauchi. This paper presents experimental performance evaluation of a solar parabolic-trough collector (Model TE 38) in Bauchi. The reflecting surface of the collector is made of highly polished stainless steel. The absorber-tube material is copper with an external diameter of 13mm and 1.5mm thickness. The enveloping glass-cover material is soda lime with an external diameter of 39mm and 2mm thickness. The readings obtained are hourly temperature changes of the enveloping glass-cover, the absorber-tube and the fluid and hourly global radiation, diffuse radiation, wind speed and ambient temperature. The values obtained were used to calculate the hourly thermal efficiency of the solar parabolic-trough collector. The higher the temperature of the absorber-tube, the higher is the radiative heat-loss, and the lower is the thermal efficiency collector. The collector efficiency increased with time up to a maximum of 98.49% at 10:00 hours, thereafter, the efficiency starts decreasing with time to a minimum of 88.34% at 17:00 hours, within the period under review.

Keywords: Absorber-tube, Glass-cover, Receiver Assembly, reflectance, transmittance and absorptance.