Experimentally validated pore-scale numerical analysis for high-temperature (>700°C), high-efficiency (>90%) volumetric solar receivers

Mohammadreza Sedighi; Robert A Taylor; Ricardo  Vasquez Padilla

doi:10.1016/j.ecmx.2021.100127

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Experimentally validated pore-scale numerical analysis for high-temperature (>700°C), high-efficiency (>90%) volumetric solar receivers

Journal article

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Experimentally validated pore-scale numerical analysis for high-temperature (>700°C), high-efficiency (>90%) volumetric solar receivers

Mohammadreza Sedighi, Robert A Taylor and Ricardo Vasquez Padilla

Energy Conversion and Management, Vol.12, 100127

05/11/2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecmx.2021.100127

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Abstract

High-temperature volumetric receivers

Concentrated solar power

CFD

Ray-tracing analysis

Packed beds

Semi-transparent medium

Concentrated solar thermal/power (CST/P) systems are evolving to operate at higher temperatures (i.e., above 700 ◦C) to drive advanced cycles and thermochemical processes. The development of high temperature, high efficiency solar receivers—as the highest temperature component in a CST/P system—represents a critical technical challenge in this evolution. Commercial solar receivers have been limited to operation below 600 ◦C due to (1) the historic trade-off between operation temperature and efficiency, and (2) the operating temperature limits of the liquid conventional heat transfer fluids. This paper investigates a gas-phase, packed-bed receiver, which is capable of addressing these limitations. To date, this novel design has shown promise for this application, but it has only been modelled on the macro-scale (i.e., a 1-D model). To obtain a more detailed under-standing of this type of receiver, this paper presents the results of a novel 3-D pore-scale analysis of the proposed receiver to characterise the optical-thermo-fluid behaviour. To ensure the validity of this approach, experimental tests were conducted for a complex packed bed of spheres. The 3-D pore-scale analysis enables the development of innovative mechanisms to reduce radiosity losses. It also provides a deeper level of insight regarding the stagnation pressure loss caused by the inlet air-jet flows. The final results demonstrated that the pore-scale modifications of the design can yield an optimised packed-bed receiver with a maximum efficiency of ~ 92 % (for a hot air outlet temperature well above 700 ◦C). This optimised receiver design represents a new pathway towards high-temperature solar receivers, which can operate at very high efficiency, to enable CST/P systems to utilise advanced power cycles.

Details

Title: Experimentally validated pore-scale numerical analysis for high-temperature (>700°C), high-efficiency (>90%) volumetric solar receivers
Creators: Mohammadreza Sedighi (Corresponding Author) - Southern Cross University
Robert A Taylor (Author) - University of New South Wales
Ricardo Vasquez Padilla (Author) - University of New South Wales
Publication Details: Energy Conversion and Management, Vol.12, 100127
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Identifiers: 991012972370602368
Copyright: This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Academic Unit: Engineering; Faculty of Science and Engineering
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Experimentally validated pore-scale numerical analysis for high-temperature (>700°C), high-efficiency (>90%) volumetric solar receivers

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