Mini Thermodynamic Centrals

Objectives of the team:

  • Development and mastery of the technology of parabolic concentrators.
  • Development, innovation and adaptation of solar tracking systems for solar concentrators.
  • Development and improvement of heat exchange at the absorber and the coolant circuit.
  • Study of the climatic effects of southern Algeria on concentrating systems.
  • Development of medium temperature systems such as compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) for hot water production as well as for the creation of solar cooling.
  • Development of concentrating solar cookers (box cookers and parabolic concentrator cookers) and their applications in southern Algeria.

    • Prototypes made:


    Prototype of a cylindro-parabolic concentrator with a sensitive and blind solar tracking system


    Prototype of a cylindro-parabolic concentrator with a new solar tracking system


    Prototype of a storage-type solar water heater


    Prototypes of solar cookers boxes with horizontal surface and inclined receiving surface


    Prototypes of a new design of a concentrated solar parabolic cooker


    Concentrated solar mini tower

    Publications (2013 - 2016)

    2. Toufik Arif, Abdelmadjid Chehhat, Amor Gama,’Numerical simulation study on the heat transfer of a spiral tube receiver designed to a thermal power tower’, (POWERENG), 2013, DOI: 10.1109/PowerEng.2013.6635770, pages: 1135 - 1141.
    3. Amor Gama, C. Larbes, A. Malek, F. Yettou, and B. Adouane, ‘Design and realization of a novel sun tracking system with absorber displacement for parabolic trough collectors’, J. Renewable Sustainable Energy Volume 5, Issue 3, 033108 (2013); doi: 0.1063/1.4807476.
    4. F. Yettou, B. Azoui, A. Malek. Amor Gama, M.A Rouissa, O Benzeggouta, ‘Réalisation et expérimentation d’un cuiseur solaire boîte à surface réceptrice inclinée muni d’un réflecteur plan’, Revue des Energies Renouvelables CDER, Volume 16, Numéro 4, pages 629-640, Décembre 2013.
    5. Yettou F, Azoui B, Malek A, Amor Gama, Panwar NL. ‘Solar cooker realizations in actual use: An overview’. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2014; 37:288–306.
    6. Yettou F, Azoui B, Malek A, Panwar NL, Gama A, Arrif T, Merarda H. ‘Second law experimental analysis of box type solar cooker’, Renewable Energy Sources, Energy Policy and Energy Management, Volume III, 2014, pp 82 – 92.
    7. Amor Gama, Chérif Larbes, Ali Malek, Abd Elfateh Belaid, Reski Khelifi, Fatah Bedaouche, 'Optical study of a new sun-pointing sensor detector for a sun tracking system applied to parabolic trough', Renewable Energy Sources, Energy Policy and Energy Management, Volume III, 2014, pp 28 – 32.
    8. F. Yettou, B. Azoui, A. Malek, A. Gama, NL. Panwar, ‘Estimation et cartographie des températures d’un cuiseur solaire boîte avec et sans réflecteur en Algérie’, Revue des Energies Renouvelables, Special issues SIENR’14, pp. 11 – 18, 2014.
    9. F. Bedaouche, A. Hassam, A. Gama, A. Belaid, ‘Commande PID floue robuste d'un robot manipulateur à 2ddl conçu pour héliostat’, , Revue des Energies Renouvelables, Special issues SIENR’14, pp. 163-171, 2014.
    10. Gama, F.Y., Azoui, B., Malek, A., Panwar, N.L. and Gama, A. ‘Energetic and exergetic evaluation of solar box cooker in Algerian climatic conditions’, Int. J. Exergy, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2015, pp.337–357.
    11. F. Yettou, B. Azoui, A. Malek, N.L. Panwar, A. Gama, T. Arrif and H. Merarda. ‘Comparative assessment of two different designs of box solar cookers under algerian sahara conditions’, Revue des Energies Renouvelables CDER, Volume 18, Numéro 2, pages 227-234, Juin 2015.
    12. F. Yettou, A. Gama, N.L. Panwar, A. Malek and B. Azoui, ‘Experimental investigation of thermal performance evaluation and thermodynamic analysis of domestic box type solar cooker with inclined aperture area’, Revue des Energies Renouvelables CDER, Volume 19, Numéro 2, pages 211 – 224, Juin 2016.
    13. H. Ben Cheikh El Hocine, A. Gama & K. Touafek, ‘The feasibility of new design of hybrid photovoltaic-thermal system – a theoretical approach’, International Journal of Ambient Energy, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01430750.2017.1318778