Aerogel-based solar thermal receivers

McEnaney, Kenneth; Weinstein, Lee; Kraemer, Daniel; Ghasemi, Hadi; Chen, Gang

doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.08.006

Title: Aerogel-based solar thermal receivers

Abstract

In any solar thermal application, such as solar space heating, solar hot water for domestic or industrial use, concentrating solar power, or solar air conditioning, a solar receiver converts incident sunlight into heat. In order to be efficient, the receiver must ideally absorb the entire solar spectrum while losing relatively little heat. Currently, state-of-the-art receivers utilize a vacuum gap above an absorbing surface to minimize the convection losses, and selective surfaces to reduce radiative losses. Here we investigate a receiver design that utilizes aerogels to suppress radiation losses, boosting the efficiency of solar thermal conversion. Here we predict that receivers using aerogels could be more efficient than vacuum-gap receivers over a wide range of operating temperatures and optical concentrations. Aerogel-based receivers also make possible new geometries that cannot be achieved with vacuum-gap receivers.

Authors:

McEnaney, Kenneth ^[1]; Weinstein, Lee ^[1]; Kraemer, Daniel ^[1]; Ghasemi, Hadi ^[2]; Chen, Gang ^[1]

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
University of Houston, TX (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Aug 09 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:: Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

OSTI Identifier:: 1538626

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1549830

Grant/Contract Number:: AR0000471; EE0005806

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nano Energy

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 40; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 2211-2855

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; solar receiver; solar thermal; aerogel

Citation Formats


                    McEnaney, Kenneth, Weinstein, Lee, Kraemer, Daniel, Ghasemi, Hadi, and Chen, Gang. Aerogel-based solar thermal receivers.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.08.006.

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                    McEnaney, Kenneth, Weinstein, Lee, Kraemer, Daniel, Ghasemi, Hadi, & Chen, Gang. Aerogel-based solar thermal receivers.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.08.006

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                    McEnaney, Kenneth, Weinstein, Lee, Kraemer, Daniel, Ghasemi, Hadi, and Chen, Gang. Wed .  
"Aerogel-based solar thermal receivers".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.08.006.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1538626.

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@article{osti_1538626,

  title        = {Aerogel-based solar thermal receivers},

  author       = {McEnaney, Kenneth and Weinstein, Lee and Kraemer, Daniel and Ghasemi, Hadi and Chen, Gang},

  abstractNote = {In any solar thermal application, such as solar space heating, solar hot water for domestic or industrial use, concentrating solar power, or solar air conditioning, a solar receiver converts incident sunlight into heat. In order to be efficient, the receiver must ideally absorb the entire solar spectrum while losing relatively little heat. Currently, state-of-the-art receivers utilize a vacuum gap above an absorbing surface to minimize the convection losses, and selective surfaces to reduce radiative losses. Here we investigate a receiver design that utilizes aerogels to suppress radiation losses, boosting the efficiency of solar thermal conversion. Here we predict that receivers using aerogels could be more efficient than vacuum-gap receivers over a wide range of operating temperatures and optical concentrations. Aerogel-based receivers also make possible new geometries that cannot be achieved with vacuum-gap receivers.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.08.006},

  journal      = {Nano Energy},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 40,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Aug 09 00:00:00 EDT 2017},

  month        = {Wed Aug 09 00:00:00 EDT 2017}

}

Copy to clipboard

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.08.006

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Selective light absorber-assisted single nickel atom catalysts for ambient sunlight-driven CO2 methanation
journal, May 2019

Li, Yaguang; Hao, Jianchao; Song, Hui
Nature Communications, Vol. 10, Issue 1
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Similar Records

Title: Aerogel-based solar thermal receivers

Abstract

Citation Formats

Performance characterization of the SERI High-Flux solar furnace journal, December 1991

Aerogels: production, characterization, and applications journal, April 1997

Optimization of monolithic silica aerogel insulants journal, September 1992

Solar collector with monolithic silica aerogel journal, January 1992

A review of cermet-based spectrally selective solar absorbers journal, January 2014

Solar Thermoelectric Generators journal, June 1954

Development of windows based on highly insulating aerogel glazings journal, December 2004

Modelling of flat-plate collectors based on monolithic silica aerogel journal, November 1992

Silica-aerogel granulate – Structural, optical and thermal properties journal, December 2004

Solar air conditioning in Europe—an overview journal, February 2007

Assessment of a Molten Salt Heat Transfer Fluid in a Parabolic Trough Solar Field journal, May 2003

Solar thermal collectors and applications journal, January 2004

Scattering of visible light from silica aerogels journal, June 1989

Improving the visible transparency of silica aerogels journal, October 1994

Dish-Stirling Systems: An Overview of Development and Status journal, May 2003

Organic aerogels from the polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde journal, September 1989

Monolithic silica aerogel insulation doped with TiO2 powder and ceramic fibers journal, June 1995

Optical cavity for improved performance of solar receivers in solar-thermal systems journal, October 2014

Relationship between optical transparency and nanostructural features of silica aerogels journal, June 1995

Scattering phase function of a silica aerogel at 450 nm wavelength journal, September 1993

Optical constants of silica glass from extreme ultraviolet to far infrared at near room temperature journal, January 2007

Monolithic silica aerogel in superinsulating glazings journal, October 1998

Direct Heat-To-Electricity Conversion of Solar Energy journal, January 2012

Optical characterization of silica xerogel with spectral and angle-dependent resolution journal, July 1998

Radiative heat transfer study on silica aerogel and its composite insulation materials journal, February 2013

Toward Cost-Effective Solar Energy Use journal, February 2007

Coatings for enhanced photothermal energy collection II. Non-selective and energy control films journal, September 1979

Radiation-conduction interaction: an investigation on silica aerogels journal, July 1996

A Multistage Solar Receiver: journal, July 1999

Production of Silica Aerogel journal, April 1981

Preparation and characterization of SiO2 two-step aerogels journal, January 1994

High-efficiency thermodynamic power cycles for concentrated solar power systems journal, February 2014

Numerical Analysis of Heat Loss From a Parabolic Trough Absorber Tube With Active Vacuum System journal, July 2011

Solar Desalination journal, January 2012

History, current state, and future of linear Fresnel concentrating solar collectors journal, May 2014

Coherent Expanded Aerogels and Jellies journal, May 1931

Thermochemical Production of Syngas Using Concentrated Solar Energy journal, January 2012

Selective Solar Absorbers journal, January 2012

Selective light absorber-assisted single nickel atom catalysts for ambient sunlight-driven CO2 methanation journal, May 2019

Performance characterization of the SERI High-Flux solar furnace
journal, December 1991

Aerogels: production, characterization, and applications
journal, April 1997

Optimization of monolithic silica aerogel insulants
journal, September 1992

Solar collector with monolithic silica aerogel
journal, January 1992

A review of cermet-based spectrally selective solar absorbers
journal, January 2014

Solar Thermoelectric Generators
journal, June 1954

Development of windows based on highly insulating aerogel glazings
journal, December 2004

Modelling of flat-plate collectors based on monolithic silica aerogel
journal, November 1992

Silica-aerogel granulate – Structural, optical and thermal properties
journal, December 2004

Solar air conditioning in Europe—an overview
journal, February 2007

Assessment of a Molten Salt Heat Transfer Fluid in a Parabolic Trough Solar Field
journal, May 2003

Solar thermal collectors and applications
journal, January 2004

Scattering of visible light from silica aerogels
journal, June 1989

Improving the visible transparency of silica aerogels
journal, October 1994

Dish-Stirling Systems: An Overview of Development and Status
journal, May 2003

Organic aerogels from the polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde
journal, September 1989

Monolithic silica aerogel insulation doped with TiO2 powder and ceramic fibers
journal, June 1995

Optical cavity for improved performance of solar receivers in solar-thermal systems
journal, October 2014

Relationship between optical transparency and nanostructural features of silica aerogels
journal, June 1995

Scattering phase function of a silica aerogel at 450 nm wavelength
journal, September 1993

Optical constants of silica glass from extreme ultraviolet to far infrared at near room temperature
journal, January 2007

Monolithic silica aerogel in superinsulating glazings
journal, October 1998

Direct Heat-To-Electricity Conversion of Solar Energy
journal, January 2012

Optical characterization of silica xerogel with spectral and angle-dependent resolution
journal, July 1998

Radiative heat transfer study on silica aerogel and its composite insulation materials
journal, February 2013

Toward Cost-Effective Solar Energy Use
journal, February 2007

Coatings for enhanced photothermal energy collection II. Non-selective and energy control films
journal, September 1979

Radiation-conduction interaction: an investigation on silica aerogels
journal, July 1996

A Multistage Solar Receiver:
journal, July 1999

Production of Silica Aerogel
journal, April 1981

Preparation and characterization of SiO2 two-step aerogels
journal, January 1994

High-efficiency thermodynamic power cycles for concentrated solar power systems
journal, February 2014

Numerical Analysis of Heat Loss From a Parabolic Trough Absorber Tube With Active Vacuum System
journal, July 2011

Solar Desalination
journal, January 2012

History, current state, and future of linear Fresnel concentrating solar collectors
journal, May 2014

Coherent Expanded Aerogels and Jellies
journal, May 1931

Thermochemical Production of Syngas Using Concentrated Solar Energy
journal, January 2012

Selective Solar Absorbers
journal, January 2012

Selective light absorber-assisted single nickel atom catalysts for ambient sunlight-driven CO2 methanation
journal, May 2019