A high-pressure window for volumetric solar receivers

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Journal of Solar Energy Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2888051· OSTI ID:619664

Karni, J; Kribus, A ^[1]; Ostraich, B; Kochavi, E ^[2]

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1. Weizmann Inst. of Science, Rehovot (Israel). Environmental Sciences and Energy Research Dept.
2. Rotem Industries, Ltd., Beer Sheva (Israel)

The absorbing matrix of a volumetric (directly irradiated) solar receiver must be exposed to the concentrated incoming sunlight. Most applications require that the receiver operates at an elevated pressure and in many cases the working fluid is not air. These requirements can be met only if the receiver is equipped with a transparent window. A novel frustum-like high-pressure (FLHiP) window, made of fused silica, is presented. Optical, mechanical, and thermal analyses, over 1,000 hours of accelerated life-time tests and several hundred hours of tests in a solar receiver, show that this window satisfies the required criteria for operation in a volumetric solar receiver whose operating pressure and peak absorber temperature reach 30 bar and 1,700 C, respectively.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 619664
• Journal Information: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Journal Name: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 120; ISSN JSEEDO; ISSN 0199-6231
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
DESIGN
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PRESSURIZATION
SILICON OXIDES
SOLAR RECEIVERS
SOLAR THERMAL CONVERSION
THERMAL ANALYSIS
WINDOWS
WORKING FLUIDS