Cavity Receivers for Parabolic Solar Troughs

Abstract

A tubular heat-absorbing element partly enclosed in an insulating layer or jacket, has absorbing surface that is accessible to solar radiation. The thermal insulation is designed to provide entry to solar radiation by way of a cavity. The absorbing surface can be substantially planar.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to and the benefit of co-pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 583,585, filed Jan. 5, 2012, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]This invention was made with government support under DE-EE0005803 awarded by the DOE. The government has certain rights in the invention.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0003]The invention relates to concentrating solar power in general and particularly to a system that employs reflective troughs to focus solar radiation upon a linear receiver.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]Solar parabolic troughs, which focus sunlight on tubes carrying a fluid that conveys heat for steam generation (e.g. to a steam-driven electric generator, or for industrial process heat) or to a body of material for energy storage, are a proven, reliable, and relatively low-cost technology for collecti...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]In particular, the invention addresses the following issues and provides advantages over the prior art. Receivers are provided that, relative to state-of-the-art receivers, do not suffer from vacuum degradation, whose absorptive coatings and other components are less costly and simpler to manufacture, that operate durably with undiminished or improved overall energetic efficiency at today's typical operating temperatures (e.g., 350° C.) or at higher temperatures (e.g., at 600° C. or above), and that can be used either in the construction of new power plants or as drop-replacements for defunct conventional receivers in existing power plants. Such improved receivers are expected to lower the levelized cost of energy for concentrating solar power produced using solar parabolic troughs.

Problems solved by technology

Moreover, for most thermal energy storage systems, the operational temperature range has an effect on the cost of storage: that is, increased temperature tends to decrease cost.

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