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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Dish Stirling Solar-Receiver Combustor Test Program

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5912066
The overall objectives of the program were to evluate and verify the operational and energy transfer characteristics of the Dish Stirling Solar Receiver (DSSR) combustor/heat exchanger system. The DSSR is designed to operate with fossil fuel augmentation utilizing a swirl combustor and cross flow heat exchanger consisting of a single row of 48 closely spaced tubes that are curved into a conical shape. In the present study the performance of the combustor/heat exchanger system without a Stirling engine has been studied over a range of operating conditions and output levels using water as the working fluid. Results show that the combustor may be started under cold conditions, controlled safely, and operated at a constant air/fuel ratio (10% excess air) over the required range of firing rates. Furthermore, nondimensional heat transfer coefficients based on total heat transfer are plotted versus Reynolds number and compared with literature data taken for single rows of closely spaced tubes perpendicular to cross flow. The data show enhanced heat transfer for the present geometry and test conditions. Analysis of the results shows that the present system will meet specified thermal requirements, thus verifying the feasibility of the DSSR combustor design for final prototype fabrication.
Research Organization:
Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AI01-76ET20307
OSTI ID:
5912066
Report Number(s):
DOE/JPL-1060-41; ON: DE82004395
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English