CONTEXT

Heliothermodynamic systems (Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)) enable the transformation of solar radiation into thermal energy (transfer fluid needed). This energy may be recovered directly, or used for the generation of electricity or the supply of chemical reactions (like water desalinisation or chemical transformation). Solar radiation is concentrated by mirrors or lenses in a solar receiver  to obtain high temperatures (min 400°C) and can feed a turbine system to produce electricity. One blocking step being the availability of reliable solar receptor of sufficient size.

State of the art technologies includes conventionnal towers with windows as  described by DLR or Pratt & Withney (with salts for thermal storage) but also different concepts tested in Spain and Australia.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

These receivers are key elements of CSP as the restrict the power plant efficiency. Furthermore their cost is a non negligible part of the total CSP. Various receivers have been proposed and generally they are designed with a window which size and sealing are limiting factors. They are defined to work under 700°C, imply to use melted salts (which are polluting products) and a thermal exchanger.
The present invention concerns a 2D solar receiver with a simple modular design which allows to work at higher temperature with high performance and can be industrially produced at meter scale. The receiver is traversed by a channel along which a 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. The inner surface of said wall includes turbulence-generating actuators at the fluid inlet.

BENEFITS

• solar heating of high pressure fluids without window ; no size limitaiton
• surface energy absorption (<> volume) allows higher efficiency
• simple system which is both themal exchanger and solar receiver without pressure losses due for example to the flow through a porous material.
• such a design allows a high power (some tens of MW) for reasonable costs.

DEVELOPPEMENT

1 meter scale prototype tested and validated in Themis solar test tower plant, Targassonne, France.