Textured Modular Solar Receptor for High-Temperature Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar receptors in high-temperature thermodynamic systems face limitations in achieving high efficiency and large-scale industrial applications due to restricted temperature capabilities, mechanical losses, and high costs, with existing solutions either being complex or inefficient in heat transfer and size scalability.
Innovation Solution
A solar surface receptor module with a simple modular structure featuring turbulence-generating actuators and riblets on its inner surface, allowing for high-temperature operation without a window, reducing head losses, and enabling direct heat transfer between the fluid and concentrated solar radiation, thus facilitating larger industrial-scale power plants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional metal components are used in solar receptors, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the temperature capability is limited to below 700°C and efficiency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional metals to ceramic materials, which enables operation at temperatures above 700°C while maintaining structural integrity. This material parameter change resolves the contradiction by allowing high-temperature operation without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity, as the ceramic components can be formed using standard ceramic processing techniques.
2Temperature
If porous ceramic components are used to achieve high temperature operation, then temperature capability increases, but head losses increase and fluid circulation becomes complex requiring pumps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the porous ceramic component from the fluid circulation path, placing it only in the radiation-absorbing wall where it directly converts solar energy to heat. The fluid flows through a separate smooth channel, eliminating the source of head losses. This separation resolves the contradiction by maintaining high-temperature capability through the ceramic wall while eliminating energy losses in fluid circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptor is segmented into distinct functional zones: a radiation-absorbing wall containing porous ceramic for heat generation, and a separate smooth channel for fluid circulation. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between high-temperature operation and low head losses.
3Temperature
If a window is added to allow pressurized fluid to traverse a porous ceramic component, then high temperature operation is achieved, but the window increases cost and limits reliability and scalability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the window component entirely by extracting the fluid circulation path from the porous ceramic structure. Instead, a separate smooth channel is provided that allows pressurized fluid to flow without requiring a window, thereby eliminating the reliability and scalability limitations that windows impose.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary smooth channel that mediates between the porous ceramic wall and the fluid circulation system. This intermediary structure allows heat transfer from the ceramic wall to the fluid without requiring the fluid to pass through the porous ceramic or require a window, thus improving reliability and scalability.
4Power
If the receptor size is increased for large-scale applications, then power output increases, but thermal and mechanical losses in fluid circulation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fluid circulation path from the porous ceramic structure and places it in a separate smooth channel. This eliminates the source of thermal and mechanical losses in the circulation system, allowing the receptor to be scaled up for large-scale applications without proportionally increasing circulation losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptor is segmented into a radiation-absorbing wall and a separate fluid circulation channel. This segmentation allows the absorption section to be optimized for high-temperature operation while the circulation section is optimized for low-loss fluid flow, enabling scalable design for large-power applications.
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 module achieves enhanced convective heat transfer and reduced mechanical losses, enabling efficient energy absorption and scalability to high-power applications while minimizing construction costs, making solar thermal power more competitive as a renewable energy source.
Implementation Method 1
turbulence-generating actuators at the fluid inlet... generate very considerably the level of turbulence and thus the convective transfers between the gas and the wall
Implementation Method 2
enhanced convective heat transfer... convective transfers between the gas and the wall directly exposed to the concentrated solar radiation
Implementation Method 3
concentrated solar radiation... wall directly exposed to the concentrated solar radiation
Implementation Method 4
transformation of solar radiation into thermal energy
Implementation Method 5
heat transfer occurs between a fluid (liquid or gas) moving in said channel and at least one wall of the receptor exposed to concentrated solar radiation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a solar surface receptor module that operates at a high temperature and comprises a channel (101) extending therethrough and along which a heat transfer occurs between a fluid (liquid or gas) moving in said channel (101) and at least one wall (104) of the receptor exposed to concentrated solar radiation, characterized in that the inner surface (105) of at least said wall includes turbulence-generating actuators (110) at the fluid inlet (102). The present invention also relates to a solar receptor therefor.