Falling particle solar receivers
| DWPI Title: Falling particle solar receiver for use in solar power system, has heat exchanger connected to receiver body, where heat exchanger receives heated particles from receiver body and exchanges heat between heated particles and fluid stream |
| Abstract: Falling particle solar receivers, systems, and methods are disclosed that include one non-linear falling particle curtain or two or more falling particle curtains within a solar receiver that receives incident solar radiation. The particles heated in the solar receiver may be used to heat a secondary fluid. In an embodiment, the particles may be recirculated to improve energy capture and thermal efficiency. In other embodiments, an air curtain may be used across the aperture of the receiver, and flow-control devices may be used to evenly spread particles across the width of the receiver inlet. Finally, feed particles may be preheated using heat from the solar receiver. |
| Use: Falling particle solar receiver for use in a solar power system. |
| Advantage: The receiver forms a zig-zag cross section to increase light trapping so as to increase light transmittance by increasing effective length of a release slot for a given mass flow rate of particles, thus reducing a slot aperture along length of the zig-zag cross-section in an effective manner. |
| Novelty: The receiver (512) has a receiver body (521) comprising multiple inlets (524, 524') for forming multiple parallel corresponding falling particle curtains of falling particles through the falling particle solar receiver. The falling particle curtains are separated by curtain separation distance, where the inlets including rectangular cross-sections and non-liner waveform cross-sections. The receiver body comprises a window (522) for allowing concentrated solar energy to impinge upon the curtain of falling particles. An air flow device directs a curtain of air across the window. A heat exchanger (532) is fluidly connected to the receiver body. The heat exchanger receives heated particles from the receiver body, and exchanges heat between the heated particles and a fluid stream. |
| Filed: 4/11/2016 |
| Application Number: US15095738A |
| Tech ID: SD 12934.1 |
| 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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