A new receiver concept is proposed for the heliostat power plant.

Location of power
plant is selected as Jodhpur (26N, 73E), Rajasthan. New receiver concept is as follows.
Concept of receiver
At Jodhpur, sun will always move from east to west on south side. At this location,
cos-theta effect will be better with heliostat field orientation arranged for cavity type of
receiver. In cavity type of receiver, hot surface exposed to the concentrated solar radiation is
inside the cavity. Cavity receiver has large heat absorbing surface area and low heat loss area.
Hence, cavity receiver is having better thermal efficiency than external type of receiver. For
proposed solar tower power plant, cavity type of receiver is selected. Heliostat field will be at
north direction of tower. Tower and receiver will be located at south direction of field. View
angle of field will be around 75. Depending on heliostat field layout and optical flux
distribution optimised tilt angle for cavity receiver should be selected. It will be near about
27. The aperture area of cavity is around 5m5m.
One of the most important factors in the development of solar thermal power
generation technology is energy storage. Energy storage means storing of energy in some
form that can be drawn at a later time as per requirement. Solar thermal power plant with
energy storage can act as base load power plant in national electricity grid. In thermal energy
storage system, energy is stored in the form of heat in some material. Molten salt has high
density (1650kg/m3), high specific heat (1560 J/kgoC) and large operating temperature range
(230oC to 700oC). Due to this thermal energy storage per unit volume is high for molten salt
as compared to other heat transfer fluids used in solar tower power plant. For proposed
receiver concept, molten salt is selected as heat transfer fluid.
In conventional volumetric receivers as sown in figure 1, porous structure like
honeycombs or porous ceramics is heated by directly exposing it to concentrated solar
radiation. Transparent heat transfer fluid like air flows through porous structure and gets
heated by forced convection. Due to porous structure, conventional volumetric receivers have
large heat absorbing area, and hence lower surface temperatures. However, it has less heat
transfer area available for radiation, reflection and convection losses. Due to this volumetric
receivers have less thermal loss and high thermal efficiency.
For heliostat power plant, due to better thermal efficiency, conventional volumetric
receiver seems to be better option than other type receivers. However, conventional
volumetric receiver, with molten salt as heat transfer fluid, has following issues.

1. Molten salt has higher density (in the range of 1500kg/m 1800kg/m) as
compared to air (1kg/m). It causes high pressure drop through porous
structure of receiver.
2. For molten salt as heat transfer fluid, close loop volumetric receiver with
transparent window is required. A suitable window which is able to withstand
higher pressure and temperature over a long period of operation constitutes the
main design problem in the development of close loop volumetric receiver.
However, these issues can be solved by using parallel arrangement of hollow plates
instead of porous structure. Hollow plates can be arranged in parallel with molten salt
flowing through them. These plates can be exposed to concentrated radiation flux along the
length.

Figure 1: Heat absorption in porous structure of volumetric receiver.

Proposed receiver concept consists of multiple thin hollow plates. These hollow plates
are arranged in parallel to each other as shown in figure 2. Plates are tilted such that thin front
face is pointed towards heliostat field. Height of each plate is around 5m. Depth of each plate
is around 10m. The hollow space in each plate is around 5-8 mm. Plates are held at the top
surface of cavity and suspended freely parallel to each other. Plates can expand and contract
as per temperature. It reduces thermal stresses. The concentrated solar radiation impinges on
front and side faces of each plate. This concentrated solar radiation is distributed over a large
surface of plate. As shown in figure 3, molten salt flows through hollow plates. Plates absorb
solar radiation and transfers to the molten salt flowing through them. The cold molten salt
enters the plate from front side at bottom. It then flows to the rear side of the plate. Due to
absorbed radiation, the molten salt heats up along its way from front side to rear side of plate.

Figure 2: Parallel arrangement of hollow plates.

Figure 3: Single hollow plate of receiver.

For plate shape, as shown in figure 3, molten salt may get stagnated at the front side
of the plate. Due to stagnation, molten salt velocity reduces. It reduces heat transfer
coefficient between molten salt and metal. Front side of plate is exposed to high heat flux
(near about 800kW/m). High heat flux and low heat transfer coefficient can cause high
surface temperatures. It can cause accidental damage of receiver. To avoid such condition,
molten salt velocity is required to be increased in front region of plate. As shown in figure 4,
curvature is given to the front side of plate. Along with curvature baffles may also be
provided. Due to this, molten salt velocity and heat transfer coefficient between metal and
molten salt become high. Plate surface temperature in the front side is reduced. To avoid
freezing of molten salt after shut down, self-draining ability is provided to each plate. Inlet of
3

molten salt to plate is at the bottom most point. At the time of shut down, molten salt is
drained naturally by gravity from the molten salt inlet provided to each plate. Appendix I
shows drawing of one single plate of receiver.

Figure 4: Single hollow curved shape plate exposed to heat flux.

Solar flux is highest at the front side of the plate. This flux decreases along the depth
inside the receiver up to the rear side. As shown in figure 4, at the front face, cold molten salt
enters with high jet velocity. Baffles provided at the front can further assist the increase in
velocity. Due to high velocity, high heat transfer coefficient is achieved at the front side of
the plate. Lowest molten salt temperature and high heat transfer coefficient cause the lowest
temperature of plate surface at the front. At the rear side of the plate, fluid temperature
reaches at its maximum. Due to this, the maximum surface temperature occurs at the rear side
of the plate. As shown in figure 5, these curved plates are arranged in parallel to each other.

Figure 5: Parallel arrangement of hollow plates of receiver.

Receiver plate temperatures are estimated approximately. It is assumed that flux on
plate varies from maximum value of 0.8 MW/m on front side to 0 MW/m on rear side.
Molten salt temperature in plate varies from 230C to 550C. Here, for calculation purpose
heat transfer fluid considered is HITEC molten salt. Baffles are provided in front side. Due
to baffles, for simplification purpose, front side can be considered as tube shaped with molten
salt velocity 3 m/s. Tube inner radius is 5 mm. Tube outer radius is 8mm. Plate material is
considered as stailness steel with conductivity 54 W/mC. Outer surface temperature of tube
can be calculated by formula, [Sukhatme 2005]
*

(1)

Where,
is outer surface temperature of tube. (C)
q is heat flux on tube surface. (W/m)
is outer tube radius. (m)
is inner tube radius. (m)
is heat transfer coefficient between tube and fluid flowing through tube. (W/m.C)
is conductivity of tube metal. (W/m.C)
is temperature of fluid flowing inside the tube. (C)
Heat transfer coefficient between tube and fluid flowing inside the tube can be
calculated by Dittus-Bolelter equation as,
( )(

(2)
5

Where,
is conductivity of fluid. (W/m.C)
is density of fluid. (kg/m)
V is velocity of fluid. (m/s)
is dynamic viscosity of fluid. (kg/m.s)
From calculations, plate outer surface temperature at front side is estimated about
450C. As there is low heat flux in rear side, plate outer surface temperature at rear side is
estimated near about 550C. Outer plate surface temperature varies from minimum value of
450C on front side to 550C on rear side.
The lowest temperature of molten salt is more than about 230C. This molten salt is
further heated along its way. As estimated by calculations, high molten salt temperature,
conductive, convective heat transfer resistances and high heat flux cause high values of plate
surface temperatures. Plate surface temperature varies from 450C on front side to 550C on
rear side. As a consequence, at such high surface temperature, thermal radiation is emitted.
Most of this radiation, radiated by the plate, impinges on the neighbouring plate and therefore
remains within the receiver system. Similarly, reflected radiations from the side faces of plate
impinge on the neighbouring plate. Only radiation reflected from thin front face of plate is
released into the atmosphere.
Radiation may enter the system but it cannot leave. The temperature at front side is
lowest then it increases along the depth. The maximum surface temperature occurs at the rear
side of the plate. Radiation losses at side face are less because of the previously described
radiation trap effect. In this receiver, surface with minimum temperature has highest view
factor with the atmosphere. Surface with highest temperature has minimum view factor with
atmosphere. The new receiver concept has similar characteristics as the volumetric receivers.
In this receiver, high surface temperatures occur at the rear side of the plate. This part of plate
is in stagnant zone of cavity receiver with no air movement. There will be low convective
heat loss in this region. The vertical plates in receiver can act as additional geometry in cavity
receiver. An additional geometry in cavity receiver disturbs the inflow and outflow of
ambient air into the receiver. Effect of wind will also be reduced due to these vertical plates.
Overall convection loss from receiver is reduced.