Thermal transport in multi-phase flows for concentrating solar applications

This project will advance the field of heat transfer in high-temperature systems involving liquid metals, withemphasis on energy storage and solar power technologies. The concept couples a tubular sodium boiler with aNaCl phase-change storage system for continuous energy supply. NaCl is low cost and has a meltingtemperature suitable for a wide range of industrial processes. The key challenge of sodium stability in highlyirradiated tubes will be addressed by investigating mass, momentum, energy and radiative transport in liquidmetals. This will inform the design and testing of novel sodium boilers to provide stable and isothermal processheat for continuous or on-demand production of power, chemical fuels and commodities.