Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol.

2(12), 2010, 7531-7539

Heat Loss Characterization from Solar Concentrator Receiver A Review

Milind S Patil1 Dr. M. S. Tandale2, Prof. Ajay G Chandak3
1. P. G. Student M. Tech (Thermal & Fluid) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technology Univesity, Lonere Dist Raigad Maharashtra INDIA 2. Professor & Registrar Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technology Univesity, Lonere Dist Raigad Maharashtra INDIA 3. Assistant Professor & Renewable Energy Consultant S. S. V.P. Ss B. S. Deore College of Engineering, Dhule Maharashtra INDIA Abstract Concentrating solar thermal systems collect sunlight and concentrate it towards a receiver increasing its temperature by up to hundreds of degrees and allowing high value energy conversions such as heat engine cycles or chemical process to be carried out. With the receiver operating at high temperatures there are increased heat losses which are detrimental its performance. There are many different types of receivers; a common geometry is a plane type of receivers, cavity arrangement. All the concentrators need a tracking and these are located in an ambient where the effect of wind flow and receiver inclination plays an important role in the heat loss characterization. This paper takes a review of such heat loss prediction models. First section of the paper is a general introduction. Second section explains the mechanism of natural convection heat loss. Section three explains the heat loss in windy conditions and the section four concludes for a further study and methodology to be adapted for prediction of heat loss using receivers as developed and used by Prof. Ajay Chandak for multi-effect distiller. Nomenclature AR Aspect Ratio of Cavity Aap Receiver Aperture Area Dap Aperture Diameter d Distance from centerline of the opening to base of cavity B Width Cubical or Rectangular Cavity Nu Nusselt Number Ra Rayleigh Number Lc Characteristics Dimensions of Cavity Receiver OR Opening Ratio of Cavity T - Ambient Temperature DR Opening Displacement Ratio of Cavity Acav Inner Surface Area of Receiver Dcav Cavity Diameter a Opening Height of Cubical or Rectangular cavity Gr Grashof Number Pr Prandtl Number Tilt Angle of Receiver Tw Average Operating Temperature of Receiver Wall

Many models were studied and reported for cylindrical cavity receivers. James A Harrist, Terry G Lenz [5] studied five different types of models. The methodology employed in this analysis gives an instantaneous, steadystate system efficiency, Three days are considered, the winter solstice, the summer solstice and the equinox. The hour-by-hour solar input was estimated for a site at 400N latitude .Elliptical cavity was most extensively analyzed. The thermal efficiencies of the four other cavity Geometries were also examined. It was found that for the same cavity aperture and insulation thickness, cavity geometry has almost no effect on system efficiency. Stine and McDonald (1989) proposed a extended correlation of the Nusselt number for a cylindrical shaped frustum receiver incorporating aperture size, surface temperature and receiver tilt angle. Leibfried and Ortjohann (1995) reported new generalized model could be used for both downward and upward-facing cavities with various geometries. Siangsukone P. and Lovegrove K.(2002) [19] has presented work on modelling and simulation of the ANU 400m2 Paraboloidal dish concentrator system with a direct steam generating cavity receiver and the steam line. The

ISSN: 0975-5462

7531

Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 2(12), 2010, 7531-7539 TRNSYS model predictions are compared with plant data measured with the ANU (Australian National University) dish. The SG3 system has been modeled using the TRNSYS program. T. Taumoefolau and K. Lovegrove (2002) [20] has reported an experimental investigation based on an isothermal electrically heated model cavity receiver. The convection loss of the model receiver has been measured 00 to 900Numerical analysis of the problem shows good agreement. S. Paitoonsurikarn and K. Lovegrove (2003) [22] from ANU has reported A correlation model for predicting the natural convection loss from open-cavity solar receivers. Initial indications are that by incorporating and angle dependant length scale, the correlation is more accurate and general than those previously published. S. Paitoonsurikarn and K. Lovegrove (2006) had reported a new correlation based on the numerical simulation results of three different cavity geometries [21] T. Taumoefolau et. al. investigated natural convection losses from cavity type receivers, an electrically heated model receiver, was tested at inclinations varying from -90 deg (cavity facing up) to +90 deg (cavity facing straight down), with test temperatures ranging from 450 to 650 deg C. Ratios of the aperture diameter to cavity diameter of 0.5, 0.6, 0.75, 0.85 and 1.0, were used. In addition to measurements of overall heat loss, the Synthetic Schlieren technique was used to visualize the flow pattern out of the cavity. Numerical modeling of the convection losses from the cavity was carried out for positive angles with the commercial computational fluid dynamics software package, Fluent 6.0. Good agreement was found between the numerical flow patterns at the aperture region with the schlieren images and between measured and predicted values for heat loss. [22] N. Sendhil Kumar et. al. [23] presented a two dimensional model to estimate natural convection heat loss from modified cavity receiver (hemisphere with aperture plate) of fuzzy focal solar dish concentrator. Both insulation conditions and no insulation conditions are used for estimation of heat loss. The convection heat loss of the modified cavity receiver was estimated for an inclination of receiver from 00 (cavity aperture facing sideways) to 900 (cavity aperture facing down). From the experimental data points Nusselts number correlations were developed. The maximum convection heat loss occurs at 00 inclinations for both cases of the receiver, which is 63.0% with insulation and 42.9% without insulation of the total heat loss. The convection heat loss from the receiver decreases to a minimum value as its inclination increases to 900. Prakash et al., (2009) has reported experimental and numerical study of the steady state convection heat losses occurring from a downward-facing cylindrical cavity receiver has been carried out. From all the data points Nusselt number correlations as a function of receiver aperture diameter were proposed for the natural convection heat losses. [24] Table 3 represents different correlations for natural convection heat loss from the cavity receiver. 3 Convection Heat Loss Receivers in Windy Situation (Real Case of Application) Discussion till now is restricted to the natural convection and without wind situations. However the receivers are located in the real application in an environment where wind effect is dominant over the heat loss. Very few investigations are observed in windy situations S. Paitoonsrikaran et.al. (2004) reported the studies of combined force and natural convection heat loss.[26] Convection heat loss for three receivers with different dimensions was investigated. It was observed that the heat loss is actually reduced below the natural convection value by wind speeds up to about 7 m/s. With increasing receivers dimensions the magnitude of wind speed that results in the minimum heat loss tends to decrease. M Prakash et.al. (2009) reported an experimental and numerical study of the steady state convective losses occurring from a downward facing cylindrical cavity receiver of length 0.5 m, internal diameter of 0.3 m and a wind skirt diameter of 0.5 m. The experiments are conducted for receiver inclination angles of 00 (side ways facing cavity), 300, 450, 600 and 900 (vertically downward facing receiver). The numerical study is performed using the Fluent CFD software. The experimental and the numerical convective loss estimations agree reasonably well with a maximum deviation of about 14%. Conclusion Many studies have been published on square and rectangular open cavities due to their wide applications in various engineering systems. Number of publications was observed for prediction of natural convection heat loss however all of them having their own limitations for applicability. Few literatures are available for prediction of heat loss in wind situations which is only the real applications of the receivers. Also it is observed that the receivers of different sizes and shapes were investigated. From all the publications it is observed that for the same wind speed the results are not the same due to the geometry of the receivers. It is also observed that the aperture size has to be optimized for minimum heat loss. The study explains that for the different geometries results will not match at all. For simple applications as used by Prof. Ajay Chandak no any such prediction results are available. Receivers as used by Prof. Ajay Chandak are simple in constructions and low cost for applications like direct steam generation.

ISSN: 0975-5462

7532

Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 2(12), 2010, 7531-7539 Hence it may be considered for the development of characteristic curves that may be useful to predict the heat loss at the design stage itself. Author expresses his sincere thanks to Dr. M. S. Tandale & Prof. Ajay Chandak for their valued guidance to undertake this project of heat loss characterization of simple cavity type of he receiver and financial support. References
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] S. P. Sukhatme Solar Energy, TATA McGraw Hill Publication, Third Edition, ISBN (13): 978-0-07-026064-1, 71-107 Duffie, John A., and Beckman, William A., Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, 2nd edition. Wiley, New York, 1991. H. Skok, S. Ramadhyani, and R. J. Schoenhals, International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 12 (1991) 01, 36-45. A. M. Clausing, An Analysis of Convective Heat Looses from Cavity Solar Central Receivers Solar Energy, 27 (1981), 4, 295-300 James A Harrist, Terry G Lenz, Thermal Performance of Solar Concentrator/Cavity Receiver Sysem, Solar Energy, 34 (1985), 2, 135-142. Leibfried, U., Ortjohann, J., Convective heat loss from upward and downward-facing cavity solar receivers: measurements and calculations, ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 117, (1995), 7584 H. Nouanegue, A. Muftuoglu, E. Bilgen, Conjugate heat transfer by natural convection, conduction and radiation in open cavities International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 51 (2008), 6054-6062 Sernas, V., Kyriakides, I., 1982. Natural convection in an open cavity. In:Proceeding of 7th International Heat Transfer Conference, Munchen,Germany, 2 (1982), 275286. Chan, Y.L., Tien, C.L., A numerical study of two-dimensional, laminar natural convection in a shallow open cavity. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 28 (1985), 603612. Chan, Y.L., Tien, C.L., A numerical study of two-dimensional, natural convection in square open cavities. Numerical Heat Transfer, Part B 8, (1985) 6580. Lin, C.X., Xin, M.D., Transient turbulence free convection in an, open cavity. Institution of Chemical Engineers Symposium Series 1, (a1992) 515521. Angirasa, D., Pourquie, M.J., Nieuwstadt, F.T., Numerical study of transient and steady laminar buoyancy-driven flows and heat transfer in a square open cavity. Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A 22, (1992) 223239. Mohamad, A.A., Natural convection in open cavities and slots. Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A 27 (1995),705716. Polat, O., Bilgen, E., Laminar natural convection in inclined open shallow cavities. International Journal of Thermal Sciences 41 (2002), 360368. Saha, G., Saha, S., Arif Hasan Mamun, Md., A finite element method for steady-state natural convection in a square tilt open cavity. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences 2, (2007) 4149. Nateghi, M., Armfield, S.W., Natural convection flow of air in an inclined open cavity. Australian & New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics Journal 45, (2004) C870C890. Stine, W.B., McDonald, C.G., Cavity Receiver convective heat loss Proceedings of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) Solar World Conference, 1989 Kobe, Japan. Leibfried, U., Ortjohann, J., Convective heat loss from upward and downward-facing cavity solar receivers: measurements and calculations. ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering 117 (1995), 7584. Siangsukone P. and Lovegrove K., Modelling of a steam based Paraboloidal Dish concentrator using the computer source code TRNSYS Proceedings of Solar 2002 - Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society Paper 1. T. Taumoefolau and K. Lovegrove, An Experimental Study of Natural Convection Heat Loss from a Solar Concentrator Cavity Receiver at Varying Orientation Proceedings of Solar 2002 Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society Paper 1 S. Paitoonsurikarn and K. Lovegrove, A New Correlation for Predicting the Free Convection Loss from Solar Dish Concentrating Receivers Clean Energy? Can Do! ANZSES 2006. Paitoonsurikarn, S., Lovegrove, K., 2003. On the study of convection loss from open cavity receivers in solar paraboloidal dish applications. In: Proceedings of 41st Conference of the Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy Society (ANZSES), Melbourne, Australia. N. Sendhil Kumar, K.S. Reddy, Numerical investigation of natural convection heat loss in modified cavity receiver for fuzzy focal solar dish concentrator, Solar Energy 81 (2007) 846855 Prakash, M., Kedare, S.B., Nayak, J.K., Investigations on heat losses from a solar cavity receiver. Solar Energy 83 (2009), 157170. K.S. Reddy, N. Sendhil Kumar, An Improved model for natural convection heat loss from modified cavity receiver of solar dish concentrator, Solar Energy 83 (2009), 1884 1892. Paitoonsurikarn, S., Taumoefolau, T., Lovegrove, K., 2004. Estimation of convection loss from paraboloidal dish cavity receivers. In: Proceedings of 42nd Conference of the Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy Society (ANZSES), Perth, Australia. M. Prakash, S.B. Kedare, J.K. Nayak, Investigations on heat losses from a solar cavity receiver, Solar Energy 83 (2009) 157170 Ajay Chandak, Sunil k Somani, Deepak Dubey, Journal of Engineering Science and Technology 4 (2009), No 3, 315-321 Shuang-Ying Wu, Lan Xiao, Yiding Cao, You-Rong Li, Convection heat loss from cavity receiver in parabolic dish sola thermal power system, Solar Energy, 84 (2010), 1342 1355.

ISSN: 0975-5462

7533

Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 2(12), 2010, 7531-7539

Fig 1.1 Concentration by parabolic concentrating reflector for a beam parallel to the axis of symmetry, and at an angle to the axis

Fig 1.2 Photograph of Multi-effect Distiller as Developed by Prof. Ajay Chandak

ISSN: 0975-5462

7534

Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 2(12), 2010, 7531-7539

Fig 2.1 Stream Lines in Downward Facing Tilted Cavity Receiver. [29]

Fig 2.2 Stream Lines in Upward Facing Tilted Cavity Receiver.[29]

ISSN: 0975-5462

7535

Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 2(12), 2010, 7531-7539

Sr. No. 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 References Sernas and Kyriakides (1982) Chan and Tien (1985) Hess and Henze (1984) Chan and Tien (1986) H. Skok, S. Ramadhyani, and R. J. Schoenhals (1991) Lin and Xin (1992) Angirasa et al. (1992) Mohamad (1995) Polat and Bilgen (2002) Saha et al. (2007) M.Nateghi et. al. (2004) H. Nouanegue, A. Muftuoglu, E. Bilgen (2008) Aspect Ratio of Cavity 1 1, 0.143 1 0.143 1.5 1 1 1 0.125, 0.5, 1 1 1 0.4, 0.7, 1 Opening Ratio of Cavity 1 1 0.5, 1 1 0.5 1 1 0.5, 1 1 1 1 1 Opening Displacement Ratio of Cavity 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Type of Boundary Conditions III II II II I II II I IV II & IV III V 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -45-80 -45-0 -60-0 0 0 Pr 0.7 1,7 7 8.7 7 0.7 0.11 0.7 1 0.71 1 0.7 Ra or GrH GrH = 107 103 < RaB < 107 3 x 1010 < RaB < 2 x 1011 106 < RaB < 108 3.5x106 < RaH < 1.2 x109 RaB = 1010 , 1011 102 < RaB < 108 7x103 < RaB < 7x104 103 < RaB < 1010 103 < RaB < 106 105 < RaB < 1010 109 < RaB < 1012

Table 1 Summary of the investigations by the different researchers for fully or partial open cubical and rectangular cavities[29]

ISSN: 0975-5462

7536

Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 2(12), 2010, 7531-7539

Type of Boundary Condition I II III Wall 1 Tw Tw Tw Constant Heat Flux on Wall IV a a V Constant Heat Flux on Wall Wall 2 Tw a Tw a Constant Heat Flux on Wall a a Wall 3 Tw a T a a Constant Heat Flux on Wall a Wall 4 Tw a NA a a a NA

Table 2 Boundary Conditions for Table No. 1 a adiabatic condition, Tw Surface Temperature[29]

ISSN: 0975-5462

7537

Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 2(12), 2010, 7531-7539 Sr. No. References Nusselts Number Correlation

01

Stine and McDonald (1989)

02

Lovegrove et. al. (2003)

03

Paitoonsurikarn and Lovegrove (2003)

04

Paitoonsurikarn et al. model (2004)

05

N. Sendhil Kumar et. al. (2009)

ISSN: 0975-5462

7538

Milind S Patil et. al. / International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 2(12), 2010, 7531-7539 Sr. No. References Nusselts Number Correlation

05

Prakash et. al. (2009)

06

K. S. Reddy et. al. (2009) WOI Without Insulation

Table 3 Nusselt Number Correlation for Cavity Type Receivers (Natural Convection) [29]

ISSN: 0975-5462

7539