Solar thermal receivers with multi-scale light trapping geometry and features
| DWPI Title: Solar thermal receiver for concentrated solar power generation, has receiver panel system that captures and reflects impinging solar energy between adjacent receiver panel systems, and solar panels comprises tubes for transporting fluid |
| Abstract: Solar receivers including a plurality of multi-scale solar absorbing surfaces arranged such that light or heat reflected from or emitted from one or more of the plurality of solar absorbing surfaces impinges one or more other solar absorbing surfaces of the solar receiver. The disclosed receivers increase the amount of absorbed energy from a concentrated light source, such as a heliostat field, and reduce radiative and convective heat losses. |
| Use: Solar thermal receiver for concentrated solar power (CSP) generation. |
| Advantage: The solar receiver significantly increases the absorbed solar radiation while reducing heat losses, yielding higher thermal efficiencies, improved performance, and reduced costs for concentrating solar power tower systems. The solar receiver significantly increases thermal efficiencies of solar energy receivers and a broad range of thermal collection devices for sustainable, lower-cost and high-efficiency energy conversion. The receiver footprint is smaller with the same exposed surface area and surface irradiance, which reduces heat losses. The large structural cavities are used to reduce radiative heat losses are avoided. The thermal emittance is reduced by reducing local view factors in The regions. The hottest radially extending blade design increases the effective solar absorptance and efficiency by providing a light trap for the incident solar radiation while reducing heat losses from radiation and convection. The extending blade design increases the effective solar absorptance and efficiency by providing a light trap for the incident solar radiation while reducing heat losses from radiation and convection. |
| Novelty: The receiver has multiple receiver panel systems (68) that are placed radially about a vertical central hub having a vertical axis. Each of the multiple receiver panel systems comprises a tailing edge proximate the vertical central hub and a leading edge (74) distant from the vertical axis hub. Each of the receiver panel systems comprises a first solar panel and a second solar panel capable of absorbing solar energy. The first solar panel and the second solar panel form a triangular shape that apexes in a radial direction away from the vertical central hub at the leading edge. Multiple receiver panel systems capture and reflect impinging solar energy between adjacent receiver panel systems. The first solar panel and second solar panel each comprise multiple tubes for transporting a fluid. |
| Filed: 6/18/2015 |
| Application Number: US14743319A |
| Tech ID: SD 12644.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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