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Title: Wind load analysis of a new linear Fresnel receiver assembly design

Abstract

A linear Fresnel collector includes a low-profile reflector array and a receiver assembly with one or more absorber tubes and an optional secondary reflector. This combined optical system concentrates sunlight and converts it into thermal energy. The design of a receiver assembly is critical to the performance of a linear Fresnel collector. A position deviation of a few centimeters for the receiver assembly can result in notably reduced performance, thus leading to a direct loss in revenue associated with thermal power production. Wind load is one of the most significant environmental factors that can alter the optical - and therefore thermal - performance of a solar power system due to displacements after installation. At the same time, an over-designed receiver assembly may add unnecessary construction cost to a typically high-cost-constrained system. Thus, wind load analysis is particularly important when considering optimal engineering design of a receiver assembly and its supporting structure to cost-effectively mitigate the impacts of wind. In this study, a detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is adopted to derive the wind load of a commercial linear Fresnel receiver assembly. This wind load is then used as a reference to optimize the detailed engineering design. The CFD modelmore » is first carefully developed and benchmarked within a critical regime toward turbulence. The drag force, lift force, and vortex-shedding frequencies are derived at both the operating and survival wind-speed limits for target project deployment locations. The wind load analysis results provide a valuable reference for future engineering design and prototyping.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Hyperlight Energy, Lakeside, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; Southern California Gas Company
OSTI Identifier:
1478747
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1475474
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5500-68491
Journal ID: ISSN 1941-7012
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 1941-7012
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
17 WIND ENERGY; 42 ENGINEERING; linear fresnel; wind load; receiver assembly; turbulence; computational fluid dynamics; vortex shedding; drag force

Citation Formats

Parikh, Abhishek, Martinek, Janna, Mungas, Greg, Kramer, Nicholas, and Zhu, Guangdong. Wind load analysis of a new linear Fresnel receiver assembly design. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5030533.
Parikh, Abhishek, Martinek, Janna, Mungas, Greg, Kramer, Nicholas, & Zhu, Guangdong. Wind load analysis of a new linear Fresnel receiver assembly design. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5030533
Parikh, Abhishek, Martinek, Janna, Mungas, Greg, Kramer, Nicholas, and Zhu, Guangdong. Wed . "Wind load analysis of a new linear Fresnel receiver assembly design". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5030533. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1478747.
@article{osti_1478747,
title = {Wind load analysis of a new linear Fresnel receiver assembly design},
author = {Parikh, Abhishek and Martinek, Janna and Mungas, Greg and Kramer, Nicholas and Zhu, Guangdong},
abstractNote = {A linear Fresnel collector includes a low-profile reflector array and a receiver assembly with one or more absorber tubes and an optional secondary reflector. This combined optical system concentrates sunlight and converts it into thermal energy. The design of a receiver assembly is critical to the performance of a linear Fresnel collector. A position deviation of a few centimeters for the receiver assembly can result in notably reduced performance, thus leading to a direct loss in revenue associated with thermal power production. Wind load is one of the most significant environmental factors that can alter the optical - and therefore thermal - performance of a solar power system due to displacements after installation. At the same time, an over-designed receiver assembly may add unnecessary construction cost to a typically high-cost-constrained system. Thus, wind load analysis is particularly important when considering optimal engineering design of a receiver assembly and its supporting structure to cost-effectively mitigate the impacts of wind. In this study, a detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is adopted to derive the wind load of a commercial linear Fresnel receiver assembly. This wind load is then used as a reference to optimize the detailed engineering design. The CFD model is first carefully developed and benchmarked within a critical regime toward turbulence. The drag force, lift force, and vortex-shedding frequencies are derived at both the operating and survival wind-speed limits for target project deployment locations. The wind load analysis results provide a valuable reference for future engineering design and prototyping.},
doi = {10.1063/1.5030533},
journal = {Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy},
number = 5,
volume = 10,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: A 2-D representation of a typical linear Fresnel collector.

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Investigation of temperature distribution on a new linear Fresnel receiver assembly under high solar flux
journal, May 2019

  • Parikh, Abhishek; Martinek, Janna; Mungas, Greg
  • International Journal of Energy Research, Vol. 43, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.1002/er.4374