Open Ended Lab

Power Plants Lab

Thermal Analysis of Cylindrical Cavity Receiver

used in Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plants 1
Presenters:
Ashar Zia (2019-ME-13)
Mooaz Sajid (2019-ME-29)
Azam Zaheer (2019-ME-40)
Zain Abdullah (2019-ME-45)

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Abstract

• The following investigation develops a simulation of

the thermal and heat transfer behavior of a cylindrical
solar cavity receiver.
• The geometry of the cylindrical solar cavity receiver
was modeled on SolidWorks and the thermal analysis
was performed.
• The model constructed treats the convective and
radiative exchange as the main component to energy
capture of solar energy within the system.
• The relationship between the design parameters of the
cavity receiver and the temperature of the working
fluid within the cavity receiver was established.

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Introduction
• The growing energy needs of today’s world, call for not only
viable, efficient sources, but also cost effective, environmentally
friendly-energy options.
• Solar energy, offers the option to harness solar radiation,
whether through automatic conversion to electricity via solar
photovoltaic panels or heating of a working fluid in a heat
exchanger to generate electricity. The latter of the options is
associated with the growing field of solar thermal energy.
• Solar thermal energy options offer the ability to capture,
collect, and store solar radiation through thermal-fluid based
interactions of a working fluid.

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Introduction(continued)
• One of the many solar thermal technologies, the cavity
receivers forms the energy collection modules for point
concentrator solar collectors.
• The goal of this investigation is to study the thermo-fluid
behavior of a cylindrical solar cavity receiver.
• This investigation aims to understand the radiative exchange
from the system, as a result of the ongoing thermal dynamics of
the cavity receiver system and also as of the effect of geometric
changes in the cavity receiver.

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 Literature Review
Concentrated Solar Power
(CSP) Plants:
Concentrated solar power systems
generate solar power by using
mirrors or lenses to concentrate a
large area of sunlight into a
receiver. Electricity is generated
when the concentrated light is
converted to heat (solar thermal
energy), which drives a heat
engine (usually a steam turbine)
connected to an electrical power
generator or powers a
thermochemical reaction
Concentrated Solar Power Plant

03/05/2023
 Literature Review (Continued)
Solar Cavity Receiver:
• In cavity-type receivers,
concentrated solar radiations
from reflectors are incident into
the cavity of the receiver
through an aperture.
• The receiver includes a housing
having an internal reflective
surface defining a cavity and
having an inlet for admitting
solar radiation thereto.
• A high percentage of the solar
power input is retained in the
cavity; thus, high internal
temperatures are attained.
Solar Cavity Receiver

03/05/2023 7
 Literature Review (Continued)
Cylindrical Cavity Receiver:
• The heat transfer surfaces of
cylindrical cavity receiver are
composed by coiled metal
tube.
• Heat transfer fluid flows in the
internal spaces of coiled metal
tube, and the external surfaces
of coiled metal tube would
absorb the highly concentrated
solar energy.
• Heat transfer surfaces of
cylindrical cavity receiver are
covered by insulation layers to Cylindrical Cavity Receiver
minimize heat losses.

03/05/2023 8
Methodology
Geometry Selection:
A cylindrical solar cavity receiver was designed for the analysis as shown
in the figure below

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Methodology

Geometry Selection (Continued):

A solar cavity receiver system as shown in above Figures has 4 main parts
 The aperture or the small opening for the entry of solar radiation

 The encasing metallic ring of the aperture (simulated as a flat plate)

 Metallic helical coils which circumvent the cavity system shape
 A polished metallic reflector at the bottom of the system (simulated as a flat
plate)

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Methodology
Thermal Efficiency:

Energy that enters the aperture is

overall energy losses

working fluid absorbs energy

The thermal efficiency of the cavity receiver given by:

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Methodology
Boundary Conditions:
Following are some boundary conditions used for different
cases:

• These variations are evaluated for various parameters on

the thermal behaviour leading to an optimal design of the
solar cavity receiver system.

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Methodology
Boundary Conditions:

For all simulation cases, it is assumed that the emissivity

properties of the system are as given:

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Result and Discussion
• Effect of aperture diameter
Increasing aperture size results in lower working fluid
temperatures for both laminar and turbulent conditions.

Cavity Length = 40 cm Cavity Length = 44 cm

4000
3800

3490
3500 3385
Total Heat loss (W)

3165
3000 2900
2750
2578
2500
2300

2000
17 18 19 20
Aperture Diameter

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Result and Discussion
• Effect of cavity length:
Tightly packed cavity receivers demonstrate higher working
fluid temperatures for both laminar and turbulent conditions
in comparison to medium and loosely packed cavity receivers.

5000
Total heat Loss (W)

4000

3000

2000
17 18 19
Length (cm)
Aperture dia = 17cm
Aperture dia = 19 cm

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Result and Discussion (continued)
• Effect of helical pipe diameter:
Decreasing helical pipe size resulted in higher working fluid
temperatures for both laminar and turbulent conditions.

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References

1. R. S. Oscar, C. Bryan Castro, B. Matheus Ungaretti, J. G. Juan, and V. Ramón Molina, "Modelling,
simulation and thermal analysis of a solar dish/Stirling system: A case study in Natal, Brazil,"
Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 181, pp. 189-201, 2019.
2. R. Bader, M. Barbato, A. Pedretti, and A. Steinfeld, "An Air-Based Cavity-Receiver for Solar
Trough Concentrators," Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, vol. 132, no. 3, 2010.
3. R. Bader, A. Pedretti, M. Barbato, and A. Steinfeld, "An air-based corrugated cavity-receiver for
solar parabolic trough concentrators," Applied Energy, vol. 138, pp. 337-345, 2015.
4. M. Prakash, S. B. Kedare, and J. K. Nayak, "Investigations on heat losses from a solar cavity
receiver," Solar Energy, vol. 83, no. 2, pp. 157-170, 2009.
5. Y. Singh, "Thermal Analysis of a Solar Cavity Receiver," Theses and Dissertations. , vol. Paper
1073., p. 89, 2012.
6. N and K. S. Reddy, "Numerical investigation of natural convection heat loss in modified cavity
receiver for fuzzy focal solar dish concentrator," Solar Energy, vol. 81, no. 7, pp. 846-855, 2007.

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