Evaluation of air-cooled central receivers

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3267550· OSTI ID:6781046

Wright, J D

Air-cooled central receiver systems could potentially reach higher temperatures than other near-term solar receivers (molten nitrate salt, liquid metal, and water/steam receivers, for example); however, air has low density and poor heat transfer properties. Analyses were performed to determine whether air-cooled solar central receivers with metal absorber tubes could be competitive with other proposed central receivers. The air-cooled receiver designs analyzed in this study are based on a Boeing design. No air-based receivers with significantly greater potential than the metal tube design were identified in recent studies by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and Sandia Livermore Laboratory (SNLL). In the design considered here, concentrated sunlight enters the cavity through apertures and strikes the walls, providing a diffuse source of radiation that heats the air in the metal absorber tubes. A small fraction of the incoming solar flux strikes the absorber surface directly. The receiver operates at approximately 3 atm, and has an outlet temperature of 815/sup 0/C (1500/sup 0/F). The molten nitrate salt receiver, in comparison, is a cavity design by Martin Marietta in which molten draw salt (50 percent NaNO/sub 3/ and 50 percent KNO/sub 3/) enters the absorber tubes at 290/sup 0/C (550/sup 0/F) and leaves at 566/sup 0/C (1050/sup 0/F). The incoming solar flux is absorbed directly by the tubes. Molten nitrate salt receivers have been shown to be attractive for electric power production and industrial process heat applications.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO
• OSTI ID: 6781046
• Journal Information: J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States) Vol. 106:1; ISSN JSEED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140702* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
141000 -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
AIR CONDITIONING
AIR HEATERS
BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES
CENTRAL RECEIVERS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COOLING
DENSITY
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
HEAT
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
METALS
MOLTEN SALTS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER GENERATION
PROCESS HEAT
RADIATIONS
RADIATIVE COOLING
SALTS
SANDIA LABORATORIES
SOLAR ABSORBERS
SOLAR AIR HEATERS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR FLUX
SOLAR PROCESS HEAT
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR RECEIVERS
STEAM
STELLAR RADIATION
TUBES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER