Economic analysis of a quad-panel Direct Absorption Receiver for a commercial-scale central receiver power plant.

摘要

The Direct Absorption Receiver (DAR) concept was proposed in the mid-1970s as an alternative advanced receiver concept to simplify and reduce the cost of solar central receiver systems. Rather than flowing through tubes exposed to the concentrated solar flux, the heat absorbing fluid (molten nitrate salt) would flow in a thin film down a flat, nearly vertical panel and absorb the flux directly. Potential advantages of the DAR over conventional tubular designs include a substantially simplified design, improved thermal performance, increased reliability and operating life, as well as reduced capital and operating costs. However, before commercial-scale designs can be realized, a method for controlling droplet ejection from the panel must be developed. In this paper, we present a new DAR design, which has the potential to control these droplets. The design employs four flat panels that are sloped backwards 5 degrees, wind spoilers, and air curtains. A systems analysis is presented indicating that the levelized-energy cost of the quad geometry should be very similar to cylindrical geometry that was originally proposed for the DAR concept. 19 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.