Optimal eccentric annuli (Containing atmospheric-pressure air) for thermally insulating, horizontal, relatively cold pipes

The geometrical configurations of those air-filled, horizontal eccentric annuli, that provide maximum thermal insulation corresponding to various imposed temperature conditions have been identified. For the concentric system, a simple correlation is presented which will permit the calculation of the associated steady-state rates of convective/conductive heat leak through the air annulus to the horizontal pipe conveying a chilled fluid. The conclusions and recommendations should be of use to designers, especially of district-cooling networks.     

An experimental investigation of the heat losses of a U-type solar heat pipe receiver of a parabolic trough collector-based natural circulation steam generation system

The performance of a parabolic trough collector (PTC)-based steam generation system depends significantly on the heat losses of the solar receiver. This paper presents an experimental study of the heat losses of a double glazing vacuum U-type solar receiver mounted in a PTC natural circulation system for generating medium-temperature steam. Field experiments were performed to determine the overall heat losses of the receiver. Effects of wind, vacuum glass tube, radiation, and structural characteristics on the heat losses were analyzed. The thermal efficiency of the receiver was found to be 0.791 and 0.472 in calm and windy days, respectively, at a test temperature of about 100 °C, whereas the thermal efficiencies became 0.792 and 0.663, respectively, while taking the receiver element into consideration. The heat losses were increased from 0.183 to 0.255 kW per receiver for the two cases tested. It was shown that neither convection nor radiation heat losses may be negligible in the analysis of such U-type solar receivers.     

Numerical Investigation of Energy-Efficient Receiver for Solar Parabolic Trough Concentrator

In this paper, a thermal analysis of an energy-efficient receiver for solar parabolic trough concentrator is presented. Various porous receiver geometries are considered for the performance evaluation of a solar parabolic trough concentrator. Numerical models are proposed for a porous energy-efficient receiver for internal heat gain characteristics and heat loss due to natural convection. The internal flow and heat transfer analysis is carried out based on a RNG k-? turbulent model, whereas external heat losses are treated as a laminar natural convection model. The numerical models have been solved using the commercial engineering package, FLUENT. The thermal analysis of the receiver is carried out for various geometrical parameters, such as fin aspect ratio, thickness, and porosity, for different heat flux conditions. The inclusion of porous inserts in tubular receiver of solar trough concentrator enhanced the heat transfer about 17.5% with a pressure penalty of 2 kPa. The Nusselt number correlation is proposed based on the extensive numerical data for internal heat transfer inside the receiver. The proposed model is compared with more well-known natural convection models. A comparative study is carried out with different porous geometries to evolve an optimum configuration of energy-efficient receivers.     

Optical and thermal testing of a new 1.12X CPC solar collector

A new CPC collector is described and tested, both optically and thermally, in different configurations. This CPC has a receiver shaped as an inverted “V”, which was conceived to accommodate a large gap between itself and the reflector, without optical losses, a novelty which distinguishes this device from others previously proposed. Its acceptance angle was chosen to be large (56.4°, before truncation, and 76° after truncation) in order to allow for both fully stationary E.W. and N.S. possible orientations for the collector to be used. Collector height was chosen to allow for the inclusion of convection suppression mechanisms, to enhance the thermal performance of the collector at high temperature. Measurements of instantaneous efficiency are presented, for the collector in E.W. and N.S. orientation. Measurements are also presented for the instantaneous efficiency when a double cover configuration achieved with a Teflon film and a transparent insulation material of the honeycomb type are included. It is shown that the collector's low heat losses are reduced by roughly 30% trough the addition of such convection suppression devices.Based on these results, the average yearly performance is calculated and compared with the energy delivered by other collector types (flat pates, evacuated tubular collectors). It is shown that, up to 100°C, the present collector outperforms the others, and has a cost which is comparable, if not potentially lower than conventional flat plates.     

Numerical investigation of parabolic trough receiver performance with outer vacuum shell

The useful heat gain of a parabolic collector system is directly dependent on the heat loss from the absorber at its operating temperature. Selective coatings with evacuated/non evacuated glass tubes are employed to control radiative and convective heat losses. A concentric glass shell under vacuum is investigated for its thermal performance as this method circumvents the need for direct sealing between the glass envelope and the metal receiver to maintain vacuum and its related technical challenges. The performance is compared against a non evacuated receiver and its influence under different wind velocities; emissivities are calculated by a one dimensional theoretical model and solved by an iterative method.     

Convection heat loss from cavity receiver in parabolic dish solar thermal power system: A review

The convection heat loss from cavity receiver in parabolic dish solar thermal power system can significantly reduce the efficiency and consequently the cost effectiveness of the system. It is important to assess this heat loss and subsequently improve the thermal performance of the receiver. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review and systematic summarization of the state of the art in the research and progress in this area. The efforts include the convection heat loss mechanism, experimental and numerical investigations on the cavity receivers with varied shapes that have been considered up to date, and the Nusselt number correlations developed for convection heat loss prediction as well as the wind effect. One of the most important features of this paper is that it has covered numerous cavity literatures encountered in various other engineering systems, such as those in electronic cooling devices and buildings. The studies related to those applications may provide valuable information for the solar receiver design, which may otherwise be ignored by a solar system designer. Finally, future development directions and the issues that need to be further investigated are also suggested. It is believed that this comprehensive review will be beneficial to the design, simulation, performance assessment and applications of the solar parabolic dish cavity receivers.     

Heat loss factor of evacuated tubular receivers

Tubular receivers with an evacuated space between the absorber and concentric glass cover to suppress convection heat loss are employed as absorbers of linear concentrators in the intermediate temperature range. A knowledge of their heat loss factor is important for a study of the thermal performance of such solar concentrating systems. The heat loss factor of a collector can be calculated by solving the governing heat transfer equations or estimated from an empirical equation, if available. The governing equations must be solved simultaneously by iterations, but this is tedious and cumbersome. Although several correlations exist for determining the heat loss factor for flat-plate collectors and non-evacuated tubular absorbers of linear solar collectors, there is no available correlation for predicting the heat loss factor of evacuated receivers.

A correlation to calculate the heat loss factor (U_L) of evacuated tubular receivers as a function of variables involved (absorber temperature, emittance, diameter and wind loss coefficient) has been obtained. The correlation developed by a least square regression analysis predicts the heat loss factor to within ±1.5% of the value obtained by exact solution of the simultaneous equations in the following range of variables: wind loss coefficient, 10–60 W/m²°C; emittance, 0.1–0.95; and absorber temperature, 50–200°C.     

Numerical study of conduction and radiation heat losses from vacuum annulus in parabolic trough receivers

Parabolic trough receiver is a key component to convert solar energy into thermal energy in the parabolic trough solar system. The heat loss of the receiver has an important influence on the thermal efficiency and the operating cost of the power station. In this paper, conduction and radiation heat losses are analyzed respectively to identify the heat loss mechanism of the receiver. A 2-D heat transfer model is established by using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method for rarefied gas flow and heat transfer within the annulus of the receiver to predict the conduction heat loss caused by residual gases. The numerical results conform to the experimental results, and show the temperature of the glass envelope and heat loss for various conditions in detail. The effects of annulus pressure, gas species, temperature of heat transfer fluid, and annulus size on the conduction and radiation heat losses are systematically analyzed. Besides, the main factors that cause heat loss are analyzed, providing a theoretical basis for guiding the improvement of receiver, as well as the operation and maintenance strategy to reduce heat loss.     

An improved model for natural convection heat loss from modified cavity receiver of solar dish concentrator

A 2-D model has been proposed to investigate the approximate estimation of the natural convection heat loss from modified cavity receiver of without insulation (WOI) and with insulation (WI) at the bottom of the aperture plane in our previous article. In this paper, a 3-D numerical model is presented to investigate the accurate estimation of natural convection heat loss from modified cavity receiver (WOI) of fuzzy focal solar dish concentrator. A comparison of 2-D and 3-D natural convection heat loss from a modified cavity receiver is carried out. A parametric study is carried out to develop separate Nusselt number correlations for 2-D and 3-D geometries of modified cavity receiver for estimation of convective heat loss from the receiver. The results show that the 2-D and 3-D are comparable only at higher angle of inclinations (60° ? β ? 90°) of the receiver. The present 3-D numerical model is compared with other well known cavity receiver models. The 3-D model can be used for accurate estimation of heat losses from solar dish collector, when compared with other well known models.     

Natural convection heat transfer in horizontal eccentric elliptic annuli containing saturated porous media

The two-dimensional Darcy–Boussinesq equations, governing natural convection heat transfer in a saturated porous medium, are solved in generalised orthogonal coordinates, using high-order compact finites differences on a very fine grid. The mesh is generated numerically using the orthogonal trajectory method. The code is thoroughly validated against results reported in the literature for concentric and eccentric cylinders, obtained using different numerical techniques. The code is applied to horizontal eccentric elliptic annuli containing saturated porous media. The judicious stretching of one of the annular walls in the horizontal direction reduces the heat losses with respect to a concentric cylindrical annulus with the same amount of insulating material. The savings in heat transfer can be further improved if the elliptic annular shape is made eccentric. Previous studies show that, under certain conditions, eccentric cylinders may lead to a more effective insulation than concentric ones. The results presented here provide an alternative approach to optimising the heat transfer rate by a proper choice of the annular shape. The energy savings are of the order of 10%.     

球形腔式太阳能吸热器性能的数值研究

利用蒙特卡洛光线追踪法分析了6种不同开口比(D/d)的球形腔式吸热器的光学性能,并以光学模拟所得壁面能流作为热分析的边界条件导入CFD软件中,运用CFD软件对6种不同开口比的球形腔式吸热器进行流固耦合传热计算,获得了球形腔式吸热器和内部流体的温度场分布。通过计算球形腔式吸热器的反射光损失、对流热损失和热辐射损失,得到聚光器/球形腔式吸热器系统的光热转化效率为81.9%～84.4%,球形腔式吸热器的最佳开口比1相似文献   

Numerical modelling and optimisation of natural convection heat loss suppression in a solar cavity receiver with plate fins

This study details the numerical modelling and optimization of natural convection heat suppression in a solar cavity receiver with plate fins. The use of plate fins attached to the inner aperture surface is presented as a possible low cost means of suppressing natural convection heat loss in a cavity receiver. In the first part of the study a three-dimensional numerical model that captures the heat transfer and flow processes in the cavity receiver is analyzed, and the possibilities of optimization were then established. The model is laminar in the range of Rayleigh number, inclination angle, plate height and thickness considered. In the second part of the study, the geometric parameters considered were optimized using optimization programme with search algorithm. The results indicate that significant reduction on the natural convection heat loss can be achieved from cavity receivers by using plate fins, and an optimal plate fins configuration exit for minimal natural convection heat loss for a given range of Rayleigh number. Reduction of up to a maximum of 20% at 0° receiver inclination was observed. The results obtained provide a novel approach for improving design of cavity receiver for optimal performance.     

Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector solar thermal powerplants

This paper evaluates Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) concepts suitable for large scale solar thermal electricity generation plants. In the CLFR, it is assumed that there will be many parallel linear receivers elevated on tower structures that are close enough for individual mirror rows to have the option of directing reflected solar radiation to two alternative linear receivers on separate towers. This additional variable in reflector orientation provides the means for much more densely packed arrays. Patterns of alternating mirror inclination can be set up such that shading and blocking are almost eliminated while ground coverage is maximised. Preferred designs would also use secondary optics which will reduce tower height requirements. The avoidance of large mirror row spacings and receiver heights is an important cost issue in determining the cost of ground preparation, array substructure cost, tower structure cost, steam line thermal losses, and steam line cost. The improved ability to use the Fresnel approach delivers the traditional benefits of such a system, namely small reflector size, low structural cost, fixed receiver position without moving joints, and non-cylindrical receiver geometry. The modelled array also uses low emittance all-glass evacuated Dewar tubes as the receiver elements. Alternative versions of the basic CLFR concept that are evaluated include absorber orientation, absorber structure, the use of secondary reflectors adjacent to the absorbers, reflector field configurations, mirror packing densities, and receiver heights. A necessary requirement in this activity was the development of specific raytrace and thermal models to simulate the new concepts.     

Two-dimensional transient thermal analysis of a phase-change-material canister of a heat-pipe receiver under gravity

High-temperature Phase Change Material （PCM） is used as a thermal storage medium of a heat-pipe receiver in an advanced solar dynamic system. With both void cavity and natural convection considered, thermal performance of the heat-pipe receiver is numerically analyzed under gravity. The results indicate that the PCM contained in the integrated heat pipe performs an averaging function of heat loadings. The thermal performance of the heat-pipe receiver is stable and reliable. When a heating cycle is stable, the temperature fluctuations both on heat-pipe wall and in PCM canister remain less than 13 K throughout a sunlight and eclipse cycle. The utility of PCM is essentially improved. The maximum melting ratio of PCM is 92%. Under gravity, PCM melts more quickly with the effect of natural convection. Natural convection accelerates the process of phase changes. Numerical results are compared with the experimental results concerned. The accuracy of numerical model under gravity is verified. The experiment for the PCM canister on the ground can be well prepared with our numerical simulation.     

Study on design of molten salt solar receivers for beam-down solar concentrator

Systems using molten salt as thermal media have been proposed for solar thermal power generation and for synthetic fuel production. We have been developing molten salt solar receivers, in which molten salt is heated by concentrated solar radiation, in the Solar Hybrid Fuel Project of Japan. A cavity shaped receiver, which is suitable for a beam-down type solar concentration system, was considered. In order to design molten salt solar receivers, a numerical simulation program for the prediction of characteristics of receivers was developed. The simulation program presents temperature distributions of a receiver and molten salt with the use of heat flux distribution of solar radiation and properties of composing materials as input data. Radiation to heat conversion efficiency is calculated from input solar power and heat transferred to molten salt. The thermal resistance of molten salt and the maximum discharge pressure of molten salt pumps were taken into account as restrictions for the design of receivers. These restrictions require control of maximum receiver temperature and pressure drop in the molten salt channel. Based on the incident heat flux distribution formed with a 100 MWth class beam-down type solar concentration system, we proposed a shape of solar receiver that satisfies the requirements. The radiation to heat conversion efficiency of the designed receiver was calculated to be about 90%.     

Heat transfer enhancement and performance of the molten salt receiver of a solar power tower

This paper investigates the interaction between the heat transfer performance and the thermal efficiency of a molten salt receiver used in the solar power tower plant. A test-bed is built, and a series of experiments of heat transfer enhancement for two types of molten salt receiver tubes, including smooth and spiral tubes, have been carried out under the high temperature and the high heat flux conditions. The experimental results show that the Nusselt numbers of spiral tube with heat transfer enhancement are in the range of 400–1200, which is about 3 times than that of the smooth one on average. The wall temperature of the spiral tube is decreased by about 30 °C comparing with that of the smooth tube under the identical heat transfer conditions. The results of the experiment show that, by using the spiral tube as the heat transfer tube, the heat transfer performance of the molten salt receiver is obviously improved, and the radiation and convection losses are significantly reduced. The results will be helpful for the design of the molten salt receiver.     

Performance analysis of vapor-cooled shield insulation integrated with para-ortho hydrogen conversion for liquid hydrogen tanks

A composite thermal insulation system consisting of variable-density multi-layer insulation (VDMLI) and vapor-cooled shields (VCS) integrated with para-ortho hydrogen (P-O) conversion is proposed for long-term storage of liquid hydrogen. High-performance thermal insulation is realized by minimizing the thermal losses via the VDMLI design and fully recovering the cold energy released from the sensible heat and P-O conversion of the vented gas. Effects of different design considerations on the thermal insulation performance are studied. The results show that the maximum reduction of the heat leak with multiple VCSs can reach 79.9% compared to that without VCS. The heat leak with one VCS is reduced by 61.1%, and further reduced by 11.6% after adding catalysts. It is found that the deterioration of the insulation performance has an almost linear relationship with catalytic efficiency. A unified criterion with relative optimization efficiency is finally proposed to evaluate the improvement of the VCS number.     

Heat loss characteristics of an evacuated plate-in-tube collector

An experimental and theoretical investigation is described into the heat loss from a flat plate placed inside a partially evacuated glass tube. The conditions required to prevent convection losses are discussed and the effect of introducing a low thermal conductivity gas evaluated.