The Solar Thermal Systems manufactured by SGN SOLAR ENERGY comprises of automatically tracked parabolic concentrators, steam header assemblies with receivers, steam pipelines, feed water piping, steel structures, instrumentation like pressure gauges and temperature indicators, steam separators, steam traps etc. 

Parabolic concentrators
Each parabolic concentrator of the system has a reflector frame fitted with reflectivity material, rotating support and a stand. The concentrators are installed in such a way that each of them sharply focus sunlight to sides of the receivers attached to a steam header. These concentrators are tracked automatically in east-west direction with the help of a central tracking arrangement. Seasonal adjustment is done on manual basis.

Receiver
It is a shell type receiver made of steel is connected to each concentrators which focus the sunlight on side of this reciever. Various such receivers in a unit of concentrators are connected to a  header pipe which is half filled with demineralized water. The receivers and the header pipe are insulated to avoid any heat losses. Each receiver is integrated with two pipes  from inside which help in thermosiphonic flow of water from receiver to header and back. When the water gets heated in the receiver, it starts moving up in the header through one pipe and the cold water from header starts coming into the receiver. The cycle goes on and a high pressure steam is generated in the header after some time.

System functioning
Before the system is put into operation in the morning, all the header pipes are half filled with water using a high pressure reciprocating pump. All the concentrators are then arranged manually in the direction of the sun with the help of a central tracking arrangement. Once this is done all the concentrators then track the sun automatically with the help of a DC motor run by battery. The time adjustment of tracking is made using a timer and a relay. The steam pressure starts building up in the header pipes immediately and is sufficient to deliver the steam in the kitchen in an hour or so. This steam can be drawn any time in the day even at the time of power failure as the feed water pump is not required to feed water and push the steam.