Sodium receivers for solar power towers: a review

Joe Coventry, John Pye, Charles Andraka, M Blanco, James Fisher

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

    Abstract

    This paper analyses the potential of sodium receivers to increase the overall solar-to-electricity efficiency of solar power towers. It re-visits some of the key outcomes and conclusions from past sodium receiver experiments, in particular those at Sandia National Laboratories and Plataforma Solar de Almeria in the 1980s, and discusses some new development activities in the area. It also discusses research in sodium receivers with a liquid-vapour phase change (heat pipes and pool boilers), to explore whether technologies developed for dish-Stirling systems have applicability for solar tower systems. Exergy analysis is used to compare the performance of sodium and molten salt receivers, and examine the impact of increasing solar flux on a sodium receiver.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationEnergy Procedia Volume 69: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems (SolarPACES 2014)
    EditorsWang Z.
    Place of PublicationTBC
    PublisherElsevier
    Pages11pp
    EditionPeer Reviewed
    ISBN (Print)9781510805941
    Publication statusPublished - 2015
    EventInternational Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, SolarPACES 2014 - Beijing, China, China
    Duration: 1 Jan 2015 → …

    Conference

    ConferenceInternational Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, SolarPACES 2014
    Country/TerritoryChina
    Period1/01/15 → …
    OtherSeptember 16-19 2014

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