Abstract
A challenging issue that arises in achieving a combined cycle with concentrated solar power technology is the development of a solar receiver for compressed air. A solar receiver transfers heat from concentrated solar radiation to compressed air so that the air temperature is sufficiently increased to drive an air turbine. Using a simple modular extension, we have developed three solar receivers for compressed air based on the concept of the tubular receiver. Conventional tubular receivers are generally applied in liquid fluids, such as water or molten salt. Cavities and extended surfaces were designed and incorporated into the developed tubular receivers to improve the heat transfer to air. The receivers were also subjected to performance evaluation tests, which were conducted in the solar furnace of the Korea Institute of Energy Research, with ambient air compressed at 5 bar and expressed in terms of outlet temperature and receiver efficiency. Test results indicated the thermal characteristics of the three solar receivers for their proper use and facilitated the comparison of their performances. The results also provided a guideline to construct and simulate a solar receiver system composed of a series of receiver modules. The problems identified in this study can help improve the solar receiver system.
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Recommended by Associate Editor Jae Dong Chung
Ha Neol Kim is a master’s student in Mechanical Engineering at Inha University (Korea). He received his B.S. degree from Korea National University of Transportation in 2013. He is currently a research assistant in KIER. His research focuses on solar receivers, chemical reactors, and the thermal storage of molten salt.
Hyun Jin Lee holds a major in mechanical engineering, specifically radiative properties and heat transfer. He received his masteral and doctoral degrees from Seoul National University and Georgia Institute of Technology, respectively. He joined the Korea Institute of Energy Research in 2009 and has since been studying solar thermal energy.
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Kim, H.N., Lee, H.J., Lee, S.N. et al. Experimental evaluation of the performance of solar receivers for compressed air. J Mech Sci Technol 28, 4789–4795 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-1046-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-1046-x