A consideration of possible receiver designs for solar tower plants

The 500-kW Solar Tower Plant in Almeria, Spain, will be provided with a sodium primary circuit. In the present paper detailed information is given on the basic investigations and on the design of the solar receiver of this circuit. Considerations concerning the optimum geometry as well as thermodynamic behaviour are described. Different design possibilities and the respective behaviour of the receiver with respect to short term transients due to cloud passage, heliostat field or mass flow failure, as well as with respect to optimum operational conditions are discussed. Special stress is placed upon a comparison between receivers with or without a large thermal mass.