Project management for the development of a solar reactor prototype in Guadalajara (Mexico)

Abstract

Project management allows the planning the processes, products, and services necessary for the development of heat transfer calculations. This research developed a solar reactor prototype with an operating temperature range of 170 to 240 ºC by deploying project life cycles and the irradiance received in Guadalajara (Mexico). Project management uses the processes of initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. A conceptually designed solar collector captured the radiation, assuming an irradiance of 1000 W/m2. The startup processes were used to estimate the temperature in the reactor chamber by transfer heat calculations (radiation, convection, and conduction). The planning, execution, and monitoring processes were used to develop the prototype, and closing processes were used to validate its operation through temperature and solar irradiance measurements. The solar reactor prototype provided evidence of its ability to reach an average temperature of 188 ºC in a steady state and to receive an average irradiance of 1260 W/m2 in autumn. Heat transfer calculations are valid for developing reactors that work with solar energy and are helpful in geographical areas with similar irradiances.