Methods and systems for concentrated solar power

Title: Methods and systems for concentrated solar power

Embodiments described herein relate to a method of producing energy from concentrated solar flux. The method includes dropping granular solid particles through a solar flux receiver configured to transfer energy from concentrated solar flux incident on the solar flux receiver to the granular solid particles as heat. The method also includes fluidizing the granular solid particles from the solar flux receiver to produce a gas-solid fluid. The gas-solid fluid is passed through a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the solid particles in the gas-solid fluid to a working fluid. The granular solid particles are extracted from the gas-solid fluid such that the granular solid particles can be dropped through the solar flux receiver again.

Inventors:: Ma, Zhiwen

Issue Date:: 2016-05-24

OSTI Identifier:: 1254168

Assignee:: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC (Golden, CO) NREL

Patent Number(s):: 9,347,690

Application Number:: 13/855,088

Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2013 Apr 02

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

Sponsoring Org:: USDOE

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 25 ENERGY STORAGE

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