Evaluation of external tubular configurations for a high-temperature chloride molten salt solar receiver operating above 700°C

Martinek, Janna; Jape, Sameer; Turchi, Craig S.

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2021.04.054

Evaluation of external tubular configurations for a high-temperature chloride molten salt solar receiver operating above 700°C

Journal Article · Tue May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Solar Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2021.04.054· OSTI ID:1784886

Martinek, Janna ^[1]; Jape, Sameer ^[1]; ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Next-generation concentrating solar power (CSP) tower technologies target operating temperatures exceeding 700°C to increase the thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency. Molten chloride salts are one possible alternative to current commercial molten nitrate salts to enable the higher operating temperature. This paper analyzes the predicted optical, thermal-fluids, and structural performance of traditional external tubular solar receiver configurations applied with a chloride salt heat transfer fluid (HTF) and inlet/outlet temperatures of 500°C/735°C, and considers sensitivity analysis and optimization relative to receiver sizing, tube sizing, number of panels, flow circuit configurations, and solar flux concentration under constraints on internal velocity, pressure drop, wall thickness, and required creep-fatigue lifetime. The high temperature conditions increase the significance of inelastic deformation mechanisms such as creep relative to that expected in commercial 565°C nitrate salt designs. High-temperature creep and creep-fatigue damage in the metal alloy tubes are the key factors that limit allowable solar flux concentration and achievable receiver thermal efficiency at the near-800°C wall temperature conditions. For a traditional external cylindrical receiver configuration, the design parameters and conditions capable of satisfying all constraints produced, at best, a design point receiver efficiency of 78.2%, or 80.5% when excluding receiver intercept efficiency. Variation in the optimal receiver performance relative to uncertainty in the binding maximum velocity, minimum wall thickness, and minimum lifetime constraints is presented.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1784886

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1783388

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA--5700-78102; MainId:32011; UUID:2b4e7826-bad8-4bc8-9349-c3ead10ac2cf; MainAdminID:24490

Journal Information:: Solar Energy, Journal Name: Solar Energy Vol. 222; ISSN 0038-092X

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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