Assessment of Particle Candidates for Falling Particle Receiver Applications Through Irradiance and Thermal Cycling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Schroeder ◽  
Kevin Albrecht
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Cycling ◽  
Thermal Aging ◽  
Particle Surface ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Tube Furnace ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Initial Value ◽  
Solar Absorptance ◽  
Hsp 40

Abstract Falling particle receiver (FPR) systems are a rapidly developing technology for concentrating solar power applications. Solid particles are used as both the heat transfer fluid and system thermal energy storage media. Through the direct irradiation of the solid particles, flux and temperature limitations of tube-bundle receives can be overcome, leading to higher operating temperatures and energy conversion efficiencies. Candidate particles for FPR systems must be resistant to changes in optical properties during long term exposure to high temperatures and thermal cycling using highly concentrated solar irradiance. Five candidate particles, CARBOBEAD HSP 40/70, CARBOBEAD CP 40/100, including three novel particles, CARBOBEAD MAX HD 35, CARBOBEAD HD 350, and WanLi Diamond Black, were tested using simulated solar flux cycling and tube furnace thermal aging. Each particle candidate was exposed for 10 000 cycles (simulating the exposure of a 30-year lifetime) using a shutter to attenuate the solar simulator flux. Feedback from a pyrometer temperature measurement of the irradiated particle surface was used to control the maximum temperatures of 775 °C and 975 °C. Particle solar-weighted absorptivity and emissivity were measured at 2000 cycle intervals. Particle thermal degradation was also studied by heating particles to 800 °C, 900 °C, and 1000 °C for 300 hours in a tube furnace purged with bottled unpurified air. Here particle absorptivity and emissivity were measured at 100-hour intervals. Measurements taken after irradiance cycling and thermal aging were compared to measurements taken from as-received particles. WanLi Diamond Black particles had the highest initial value for solar weighted absorptance, 96%, but degraded up to 4% in irradiance cycling and 6% in thermal aging. CARBOBEAD HSP 40/70 particles currently in use in the prototype FPR at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility had an initial value of 95% solar absorptance with up to a 1% drop after irradiance cycling and 4% drop after 1000 °C thermal aging.

On-Sun Testing of a High Temperature Bladed Solar Receiver and Transient Efficiency Evaluation Using Air

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus D. Ortega ◽  
Sagar D. Khivsara ◽  
Joshua M. Christian ◽  
Pradip Dutta ◽  
Clifford K. Ho
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Light Trapping ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Flow Loop ◽  
Solar Absorptance ◽  
Cfd Models ◽  
Efficiency Increase ◽  
Solar Receiver

Prior research at Sandia National Laboratories showed the potential advantages of using light-trapping features which are not currently used in direct tubular receivers. A horizontal bladed receiver arrangement showed the best potential for increasing the effective solar absorptance by increasing the ratio of effective surface area to the aperture footprint. Previous test results and models of the bladed receiver showed a receiver efficiency increase over a flat receiver panel of ∼ 5–7% over a range of average irradiances, while showing that the receiver tubes can withstand temperatures > 800 °C with no issues. The bladed receiver is being tested at various peak heat fluxes ranging 75–150 kW/m2 under transient conditions using Air as a heat transfer fluid at inlet pressure ∼250 kPa (∼36 psi) using a regulating flow loop. The flow loop was designed and tested to maintain a steady mass flow rate for ∼15 minutes using pressurized bottles as gas supply. Due to the limited flow-time available, a novel transient methodology to evaluate the thermal efficiencies is presented in this work. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are used to predict the temperature distribution and the resulting transient receiver efficiencies. The CFD simulations results using air as heat transfer fluid have been validated experimentally at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility in Sandia National Labs.

scholarly journals Calorimetric Evaluation of Novel Concentrating Solar Receiver Geometries With Enhanced Effective Solar Absorptance

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus D. Ortega ◽  
Julius E. Yellowhair ◽  
Clifford K. Ho ◽  
Joshua M. Christian ◽  
Charles E. Andraka
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Efficiency ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Solar Furnace ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Discrete Ordinates ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Black Paint ◽  
Solar Absorptance ◽  
Flow Rates

Direct solar power receivers consist of tubular arrays, or panels, which are typically tubes arranged side by side and connected to an inlet and outlet manifold. The tubes absorb the heat incident on the surface and transfer it to the fluid contained inside them. To increase the solar absorptance, high temperature black paint or a solar selective coating is applied to the surface of the tubes. However, current solar selective coatings degrade over the lifetime of the receiver and must be reapplied, which reduces the receiver thermal efficiency and increases the maintenance costs. This work presents an evaluation of several novel receiver shapes which have been denominated as fractal like geometries (FLGs). The FLGs are geometries that create a light-trapping effect, thus, increasing the effective solar absorptance and potentially increasing the thermal efficiency of the receiver. Five FLG prototypes were fabricated out of Inconel 718 and tested in Sandia’s solar furnace at two irradiance levels of ∼15 and 30 W/cm2 and two fluid flow rates. Photographic methods were used to capture the irradiance distribution on the receiver surfaces and compared to results from ray-tracing models. This methods provided the irradiance distribution and the thermal input on the FLGs. Air at nearly atmospheric pressure was used as heat transfer fluid. The air inlet and outlet temperatures were recorded, using a data acquisition system, until steady state was achieved. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, using the Discrete Ordinates (DO) radiation and the k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) equations, were developed and calibrated, using the test data, to predict the performance of the five FLGs at different air flow rates and irradiance levels. The results showed that relative to a flat plate (base case), the new FLGs exhibited an increase in the effective solar absorptance from 0.86 to 0.92 for an intrinsic material absorptance of 0.86. Peak surface temperatures of ∼1000°C and maximum air temperature increases of ∼200°C were observed. Compared to the base case, the new FLGs showed a clear air outlet temperature increase. Thermal efficiency increases of ∼15%, with respect to the base case, were observed. Several tests, in different days, were performed to assess the repeatability of the results. The results obtained, so far, are very encouraging and display a very strong potential for incorporation in future solar power receivers.

A Study of Delamination Mechanism of Thermal Barrier Coating under Thermal Cycling and Aging Condition by Residual Stress History

2009 ◽  
Vol 417-418 ◽  
pp. 173-176
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Waki ◽  
Akira Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Residual Stress ◽  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Thermal Cycling ◽  
Thermal Aging ◽  
Ceramic Coating ◽  
Plane Surface ◽  
Diffraction Method ◽  
Thermal Barrier ◽  
Stress History ◽  
Bond Coating

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have been employed for the insulation of substrates from high temperature in gas turbine plants. The TBC system consists of ceramic top coating, metallic bond coating and substrate. Delamination of the ceramic coating is important problem in TBC systems. In this paper, the delamination mechanism was studied by residual stress history under thermal aging and thermal cycle conditions. In-plane residual stress histories of ceramic coating and bond coating after thermal aging and cycling were measured by X-ray diffraction method. The residual stress under thermal cycling was also calculated by FEM analysis. The results obtained were as follows: (1) in-plane surface residual stresses of the coatings scarcely changed regardless of the increase of thermally grown oxidation (TGO). (2) high compressive thermal stress, residual stress at room temperature, in ceramic coating induced by thermal stress did not occur. It was found that stress of ceramic top coating was relaxed by micro cracks and driving stress of delamination was in-plane high compressive stress.

An Investigation of the Effect of Nanoparticles on the Effectiveness of a Heat Exchanger

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Upender Rao ◽  
V. Sajith ◽  
T. Hanas ◽  
C. B. Sobhan
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Particle Surface ◽  
Weight Fraction ◽  
Copper Oxide Nanoparticles ◽  
Suspended Solid ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Particle Surface Area ◽  
Materials Used

Convective heat transfer can be improved by enhancing the thermal conductivity of the fluid. It has been established that fluids containing suspended solid particles of metallic origin in nanoscale dimensions, display enhanced thermal conductivity. Nanoparticle suspensions have superior qualities than suspensions of larger sized particles, such as more particle surface area, less possibilities of agglomeration and clogging and better stability. An experimental investigation on the effect of the inclusion of nanoparticles into the cooling fluid on the effectiveness of a heat exchanger is presented in this paper. An experimental double pipe heat exchanger with the hot fluid flowing through the inner tube was used in the study. Aluminum oxide and copper oxide nanoparticles with a size range of 20 to 30 nm suspended in water using ultrasonic agitation was used as the hot fluid, and water was used as the cold fluid passing through the annulus. The concentration of the suspended nanoparticles was varied to investigate its effect on the performance of the exchanger. The operating temperature is also used as a parameter in the study. Typically, an enhancement of 4.5 to 7 percent was observed in the effectiveness of the heat exchanger for 0.26% weight fraction of the nanoparticles in suspension, in an operating temperature range of 50–70°C. The effectiveness of the heat exchanger was found to increase with the concentration of nanoparticles for both materials used.

Granular Flow and Heat Transfer Study in a Near-Blackbody Enclosed Particle Receiver

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna Martinek ◽  
Zhiwen Ma
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Granular Flow ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Particle Flow ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Conductive Heat ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Performance Development ◽  
And Performance

Concentrating solar power (CSP) is an effective means of converting solar energy into electricity with an energy-storage capability for continuous, dispatchable, renewable power generation. However, challenges with current CSP systems include high initial capital cost and electricity price. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SunShot program aims to reduce cost and improve performance of CSP technology. To this end, NREL is developing a solid-particle based CSP system projected to have significant cost and performance advantages over current nitrate-based molten salt systems. The design uses gas/solid, two-phase flow as the heat transfer fluid and separated solid particles as the storage medium. A critical component in the system is a novel near-blackbody (NBB) enclosed particle receiver with high-temperature capability developed with the goal of meeting DOE’s SunShot targets for receiver cost and performance. Development of the NBB enclosed particle receiver necessitates detailed study of the dimensions of the receiver, particle flow conditions, and heat transfer coefficients. The receiver utilizes an array of absorber tubes with a granular medium flowing downward through channels between tubes. The current study focuses on simulation and analysis of granular flow patterns and the resulting convective and conductive heat transfer to the particulate phase. This paper introduces modeling methods for the granular flow through the receiver module and compares the results with an in-situ particle flow test.

Stability of ITO Thin Film on Flexible Substrate Under Thermal Aging and Thermal Cycling Conditions

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 385-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad M. Hamasha ◽  
Tara Dhakal ◽  
Khalid Alzoubi ◽  
Shehab Albahri ◽  
Awni Qasaimeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thermal Cycling ◽  
Thermal Aging ◽  
Flexible Substrate
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document