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An analytic model for a solar thermal electric generating system with parabolic trough collectors was developed. The energy conversion of solar radiation into thermal power along the absorber tube of the parabolic collector is studied, taking into consideration the nonlinearity of heat losses and its dependence on the local temperature. The coupling between the collector and the thermodynamic cycle is made up of three heat exchangers, yielding the characteristic temperatures of the cycle. The conventional Rankine cycle is treated as an endo-reversible Carnot cycle, whereby the mechanical and electric power is calculated. For comparison, we refer to the Solar Electric Generating System VI (SEGS VI), installed in the Mojave desert-CA, whose solar field is composed by LS2 parabolic trough collectors. We simulated the efficiency curves of collectors LS2 with evacuated and non-evacuated absorbers and compared with experimental results. A second simulation was carried out to estimate the optimum quantity of non-evacuated LS2 collectors in series in a collectors’ row, when friction losses along the absorber tubes are considered. Also, the performance of a 30 (MWe) power plant, composed of 50 rows with 16 LS2 collectors in series (total 800 collectors) was simulated. Three fields of different collectors were considered, the first field with evacuated absorbers, the second with non-evacuated absorbers and the third with bare absorbers. Finally, the output power of the plant is analyzed as a function of the evaporation temperature of the water-vapor fluid. A large maximum of the overall cycle efficiency is found for evaporation temperatures around 320 degrees C. Good agreement is obtained when comparing the results of this model with experimental data belonging to the Solar Electric Generating Systems (SEGS) installed in the Mojave desert. The analytic model developed combines simplicity, precision and flexibility, making it an attractive tool for simulation and design of solar power stations. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.