Design and performance analysis of volumetric solar receiver based on porous foam ceramics

Abstract

Volumetric solar receiver is one of three main categories of solar receivers. It has great application prospect due to the simple structure, high thermal efficiency, and the air exit temperature can reach above more than 800℃. The porous material is used instead of tube as absorber in volumetric solar receiver to heat the working medium, and the incident radiation can be absorbed gradually from outside to inside. In this study, an one-dimensional volumetric solar receiver calculating model based on porous foam ceramics is constructed. The temperature distributions and radiation absorption efficiencies at different conditions are analyzed, and a kind of secondary heating volumetric solar receiver is put forward to further improve its thermal efficiency. The results show that both the outlet air temperature and the depth for the temperature of air and ceramic solid reaching to stability decreases apparently with decrease of porosity of ceramic foam, but the temperature of front surface of the receiver increases gradually. With decrease of porous ceramic diameter, the air exit temperature decreases gradually, and the depth for the temperature of air and ceramic solid reaching to stability is decreasing, while, the diameter change has little effect on the temperature of front surface. The air exit temperature increases apparently with decrease of air flow rate and rise of inlet air temperature, and increases with increase of incident radiation intensity. The energy absorbing efficiency is decreasing with decrease of air flow rate and rise of inlet air temperature, and decreases with increase of incident radiation intensity. The presented secondary heating type of receiver can improve the energy absorbing efficiency, although the feasibility and economy of this consideration need further verification in future.