Thermal Analysis of Scheffler Cavity Receiver for Temperature Distribution and Heat Losses During Solar Period

ABSTRACT

Worldwide efforts are made to economically harness solar energy for power generation. Scheffler cavity receiver system is a good option for supplying medium (100 – 250°C) and high temperature (250 – 400°C) process heat to industries or for producing electricity. Cavity receivers absorb a concentrated solar energy, convert it into heat and transfer heat to working fluid in the power unit. The absorption of solar energy and the attendant temperature of the inner surfaces of cavity receiver depend predominantly on the flux distribution of the incident solar radiation. In this paper, a 2-D numerical analysis is performed, using Fluent 6.3.26 (fluent Inc.) CFD package, to study the temperature distribution in cavity receiver and losses from the receiver in dry condition during solar period. The predictions of temperature distributions are useful to know the potential of receiver for steam generation. For solar period, analysis is performed considering average incident radiation. The non-uniform incident radiation distribution is used as boundary condition. The predicted temperature distribution in receiver is compared with the experimental results. Also the convective and radiation losses from receiver are predicted and compared with the experimental results.

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