Design Considerations for Heat-Pipe Solar Receivers

1990 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas R. Adkins
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Liquid Sodium ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Concentrated Solar Energy ◽  
Stirling Engines ◽  
Parabolic Dish ◽  
Parabolic Dish Concentrator ◽  
Solar Receiver

Heat pipes are being developed to transfer solar energy from the focal point of a parabolic dish concentrator to the working fluid of Stirling engines. With these receivers, concentrated solar energy that is absorbed on the concave surface of a dome is removed by the evaporation of liquid sodium on the convex side of the dome. Vaporized sodium then condenses on an engine’s heater tubes and transfers energy to the working fluid of the engine. The condensed sodium returns to the absorber surface where it is redistributed across the dome by the capillary action of a wick. Issues concerning the flow of sodium in a heat-pipe solar receiver are investigated in this paper. A comparison is made between various wick options, and general issues concerning the design of heat-pipe receivers are also discussed.

scholarly journals Problems of sodium using in pulsating heat pipe made from fused silica

2018 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 04004
Author(s):  
Radovan Nosek ◽  
Tatiana Liptáková ◽  
Libor Trško ◽  
Zuzana Kolková ◽  
Milan Malcho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Alkali Metals ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Fused Silica ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Liquid Sodium ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Pulsating Heat Pipe ◽  
High Temperature Reaction

You Heat pipe is a high efficiency heat transfer element, depends on the evaporation, condensation and circulation of inside working fluid. The working fluid of a high temperature pulsating heat pipe is generally alkali metals, and sodium heat pipe can operate in range of 500-1100°C. In order to investigate terminal velocity of working fluid, the glass pulsating heat pipe was produced for experimental purposes. The experiment was carried out, in order to simulate real operating conditions in range of 500-1100°C. Sudden boiling of liquid sodium (b.p. = 883°C at 1 atm) inside the all quartz-made heat pipe results in high-temperature reaction of sodium vapour with the inner wall surface. The reaction became more aggressive with increasing vapour temperature and resulted in heat pipe explosion. The evaluation of damage character is analysed in this paper.

Heat Pipe Solar Receivers for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Plants

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiding Cao
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
High Heat ◽  
Solar Flux ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Efficient Operation ◽  
High Heat Transfer ◽  
Solar Receiver

This paper introduces separate-type heat pipe (STHP) based solar receiver systems that enable more efficient operation of concentrated solar power plants without relying on a heat transfer fluid. The solar receiver system may consist of a number of STHP modules that receive concentrated solar flux from a solar collector system, spread the high concentrated solar flux to a low heat flux level, and effectively transfer the received heat to the working fluid of a heat engine to enable a higher working temperature and higher plant efficiency. In general, the introduced STHP solar receiver has characteristics of high heat transfer capacity, high heat transfer coefficient in the evaporator to handle a high concentrated solar flux, non-condensable gas release mechanism, and lower costs. The STHP receiver in a solar plant may also integrate the hot/cold tank based thermal energy storage system without using a heat transfer fluid.

Image and Ray Tracing Analysis of a Parabolic Dish Collector to Achieve High Flux on a Solar Volumetric Reactor

MRS Advances ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (50) ◽  
pp. 2545-2553
Author(s):  
Nidia Aracely Cisneros-Cárdenas ◽  
Rafael Enrique Cabanillas-López ◽  
Ramiro Alberto Calleja-Valdez ◽  
Ricardo Arturo Pérez-Enciso ◽  
Carlos Alberto Pérez-Rábago ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Ray Tracing ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Normal Operating ◽  
University Of Arizona ◽  
Parabolic Dish ◽  
Parabolic Dish Concentrator ◽  
The University ◽  
Ray Tracing Simulation

ABSTRACTThe need to achieve a uniform distribution of concentrated solar flux in the photovoltaic, thermal or any other receivers is a common problem; therefore, the optical characterization of the concentration system is necessary to determinate the physical characteristics of the receptors. In this work, a parabolic dish concentrator of 1.65x1.65 m2, developed by research from the University of Arizona, is optically characterized under normal operating conditions, also known as environmental conditions that refer to non-controlled conditions as solar radiation, environmental temperature and wind velocity that could affect slightly, by thermal and mechanical efforts, the distribution profiles of the concentrated solar radiation. The set used for the evaluation consisted of the parabolic mirror and Chilled Lambertian Flat Surface installed in the focal point on the optical axis of the mirror. The evaluation was divided into two parts: a theoretical part that consist on using ray tracing simulation and an experimental part that corresponds to image analysis. The used methodology in this work has been stablish in many researches, so this is a reliable method. The global optical error was 2.3 mrad under normal operating conditions.

Transient Heat Delivery and Storage Process in a Thermocline Heat Storage System

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon T. Van Lew ◽  
Peiwen Li ◽  
Cho Lik Chan ◽  
Wafaa Karaki ◽  
Jake Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Heat Storage ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Filler Material ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Efficient Computation ◽  
Concentrated Solar Energy ◽  
Feasible Option

Parabolic trough power systems utilizing concentrated solar energy have proven their worth as a means for generating electricity. However, one major aspect preventing the technologies widespread acceptance is the deliverability of energy beyond a narrow window during peak hours of the sun. Thermal storage is a viable option to enhance the dispatchability of the solar energy and an economically feasible option is a thermocline storage system with a low-cost filler material. Utilization of thermocline storage facilities have been studied in the past and this paper hopes to expand upon that knowledge. The current study aimed to effectively model the heat transfer of a working fluid interacting with filler material. An effective numerical method and efficient computation schemes were developed and verified. A thermocline storage system was modeled under specific conditions and results of great significance to heat storage design and operation were obtained.

Test Results From a Concentrated Solar Microturbine Brayton Cycle Integration

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Dickey
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Open Loop ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Brayton Cycle ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
Electrical Efficiency ◽  
Concentrated Solar Energy

Capstone Microturbine and Heliofocus Solar Thermal Solutions in a partnership built an open loop Brayton cycle system using a 65 kW Capstone Microturbine and a concentrated solar energy receiver. This system was built for initial development testing to validate the ability to generate electricity on a small scale at high efficiencies using only solar energy as the input. A secondary goal was to demonstrate the ability of the receiver to transfer sun energy into the working fluid of air at efficiencies that would support the target overall system electrical efficiency of 21%. Concentrating Solar Power systems in the 20 kW to 100 kW electrical output power range currently do not exist in the market place today. Demand for this type of power generation is high due to its small footprint per kW of energy produced, its ability to be distributed in small kW increments to meet site demand and space, its relatively high electrical efficiency and its projected low cost per kilowatt of generated electricity. This initial testing was done without the production configuration dish concentrator component and instead a solar tower with a field of Heliostats provided the sunlight to the solar generation system. Test results showed that the receiver met the efficiency goal set forth and that the overall system was capable of producing 25kW of electricity to the electric grid. The receiver efficiency measured was 89% at or near the needed airflow and air temperature levels required by the Microturbine to support an overall system efficiency of 21%. The next step in the development process would be to integrate the development system onto a concentrating solar dish and demonstrate the total conversion efficiency at the target 21% prior to commercialization.

scholarly journals Optical analysis and performance evaluation of a solar parabolic dish concentrator

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (suppl. 5) ◽  
pp. 1237-1249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasa Pavlovic ◽  
Darko Vasiljevic ◽  
Velimir Stefanovic ◽  
Zoran Stamenkovic ◽  
Evangelos Bellos
Keyword(s):  
Focal Point ◽  
Optical Design ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Peripheral Region ◽  
Reflective Coating ◽  
Optimum Position ◽  
Parabolic Dish ◽  
Parabolic Dish Concentrator ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Point Distance

In this study, the optical design of a solar parabolic dish concentrator is presented. The parabolic dish concentrator consists from 11 curvilinear trapezoidal reflective petals made of polymethyl methacrylate with special reflective coating. The dish diameter is equal to 3.8 m and the theoretical focal point distance is 2.26 m. Numerical simulations are made with the commercial software TracePro from Lambda Research, USA, and the final optimum position between absorber and reflector was calculated to 2.075 m; lower than focus distance. This paper presents results for the optimum position and the optimum diameter of the receiver. The decision for selecting these parameters is based on the calculation of the total flux over the flat and corrugated pipe receiver surface; in its central region and in the peripheral region. The simulation results could be useful reference for designing and optimizing of solar parabolic dish concentrators as for as for CFD analysis, heat transfer and fluid flow analysis in corrugated spiral heat absorbers.

Numerical Study on the Performance Characteristics of Cylindrical Heat Pipes With Differing Wick Type

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahboobe Mahdavi ◽  
Saeed Tiari ◽  
Ajaysinh Solanki ◽  
Vivek Pawar
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Resistance ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Liquid Sodium ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Liquid Pressure ◽  
Pressure Drops ◽  
Sintered Powder

In the current study, the performance of a high temperature, cylindrical heat pipe under various operating conditions is investigated numerically. To find the appropriate geometrical and working parameters of the heat pipe, a two-dimensional axisymmetric model is developed to describe the vapor and liquid flows and heat transfers in the vapor core, the wick, and the wall regions. Sodium and stainless steel are selected as the working fluid, the wick material, and the container material. The compressibility of the vapor and viscous dissipation are taken into account. In the wick region, the Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer model is applied to simulate the liquid sodium characteristics. The effect of wick type, heat input, and operating temperature are studied on the overall performance of the heat pipe as well as vapor and liquid pressure drops. Screen wick, sintered powder wick and felt wick are selected. The results showed that, for the selected wick types, the sintered powder wick resulted in the largest liquid pressure drop and the felt wick resulted in the lowest thermal resistance. In addition, the influence of operating temperature on thermal resistance diminishes with increasing temperature.

Experimental Evaluation of Particle Consumption in a Particle Seeded Solar Receiver

2007 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Helena Klein ◽  
Rachamim Rubin ◽  
Jacob Karni
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Carbon Black ◽  
Wall Temperature ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Concentrated Solar Energy ◽  
Exit Temperature ◽  
Solar Receiver

This experimental study shows the behavior of a directly irradiated, high temperature, solar receiver seeded with a low concentration of carbon black particles as the radiation absorbing media in the presence of air or nitrogen as the working fluid. Experiments were conducted in the presence of highly concentrated solar energy with an energy flux of up to 3MW∕m2 at the aperture of the receiver. 99.9% of the particles had an equivalent diameter of <5μm, but the remaining larger agglomerates accounted for 51% of the overall projected surface area. The molar ratio of carbon to gas in the fluid entering the receiver was 0.004–0.008. The heat transfer from the solar radiation to the working gas was accomplished almost exclusively via the particles. The receiver behavior during steady-state operation was evaluated. The receiver gas exit temperatures achieved during the experiments were between 1000 and 1550°C. When nitrogen was used as working gas, its exit temperature exceeded the average wall temperature, whereas when air was used, its exit temperature was lower than the average wall temperature. The air flow may have been heated to some extent by the receiver walls, whereas in the case of nitrogen, the particle-to-gas heat transfer was dominant throughout the receiver. When the gas exit temperature was above 1200°C, the particle seeded nitrogen flow absorbed 12–20% more energy than particle seeded air flow under the same operating conditions (insolation, particle load, flow rate, close proximity in time). The air tests reached high exit temperatures despite the reduction of particle concentration due to combustion. This indicates that heat transfer mainly occurs over a relatively short time period after the particle seeded flow enters the cavity close to the receiver aperture, before significant particle burning takes place. The energy due to carbon combustion was 3–5% of total energy absorbed in the high temperature air experiments. The carbon particles’ oxidation rate in the presence of molecular oxygen was found to be significantly lower than values documented in the literature for high temperature carbon black combustion in air. The high solar flux, which promotes very high radiation→particle→gas heat transfer rate, might account for this retardation.

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