Cavity Solar Trough Receiver for High-Temperature Heat Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar parabolic trough receivers face issues such as expensive absorption coatings, vacuum degradation leading to thermal losses, and limitations in operating at high temperatures due to coating instability and increased radiation losses.
Innovation Solution
A solar receiver design featuring a central tube with a solar absorber coating on its exterior, surrounded by a thermally insulating jacket and a shell with an aperture for light entry, allowing direct absorption and minimizing infrared radiation emission, operates at higher temperatures with improved efficiency and reduced material costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional vacuum-containing receiver tubes are used, then thermal losses are prevented through vacuum insulation, but vacuum degradation occurs leading to increased thermal losses and receiver replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the vacuum envelope and vacuum insulation from the receiver design, extracting the problematic component that degrades over time. The receiver operates without a vacuum containment structure, eliminating vacuum degradation issues while maintaining thermal performance through alternative insulation approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the expensive, maintenance-intensive vacuum-containing receiver with a simpler, more durable design that accepts conventional absorber coatings. This approach uses more affordable materials that can be easily replaced if needed, eliminating the need for complex vacuum maintenance infrastructure.
2Strength
If thick outer glass envelopes are used to withstand vacuum and environmental stresses, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the thick outer glass envelope entirely from the receiver design, extracting the component that creates manufacturing complexity and cost. The receiver operates without this protective envelope, using alternative structural approaches that are simpler and more cost-effective to manufacture.
3Use of energy by moving object
If absorptive coatings are used to maximize solar energy absorption, then energy absorption is improved, but emission losses increase with temperature according to T^4 relationship
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the operating parameters of the absorber by eliminating the vacuum environment, allowing the use of conventional absorber coatings that can operate at higher temperatures without degradation. This parameter change enables the system to operate in a regime where the benefits of high-temperature operation outweigh the increased emission losses.
4Productivity
If high operating temperatures are pursued to improve thermodynamic efficiency, then energy conversion efficiency is improved, but coating stability and radiation losses become prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the vacuum envelope that constrained operating temperatures, enabling the receiver to operate at higher temperatures without coating degradation. This extraction of the limiting component allows the system to achieve higher thermodynamic efficiency while maintaining coating stability through the use of conventional, more temperature-resistant materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances thermal efficiency, reduces material costs, and allows for higher temperature operation, decreasing the amount of thermal storage media required, thus lowering the levelized cost of energy and increasing the efficiency of concentrating solar power systems.
Implementation Method 1
The coating on the central tube absorbs most (preferably all, although this cannot be realized in practice) of the energy incident upon it and is thus heated
Implementation Method 2
The function of the vacuum between the inner, fluid-carrying tube and the outer, transparent envelope is to prevent loss of heat from the receiver by convection and conduction
Implementation Method 3
The function of the vacuum between the inner, fluid-carrying tube and the outer, transparent envelope is to prevent loss of heat from the receiver by convection and conduction
Implementation Method 4
This heat is transmitted by conduction through the wall of the central tube and thence to the tube's liquid contents
Data Source
AI summary
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.