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DOE OSTI · 2516827

Characterizing falling particle curtain receivers at commercially relevant scales: Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR-1)

Sandlin, Matthew James [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)]
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Abstract

Sandia will construct a cold flow receiver test platform in order to characterize falling particle curtain receivers at commercially relevant scales. While Sandia has extensive experience in R&D of falling particle curtain receivers, most have been at pilot scale and smaller - on the order of 1 MW th with characteristic dimensions of nominally 1-2 m to adequately collect solar energy from the heliostat field at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF). However, scaling up receivers to commercially relevant scales (25 MW th and above) will require a thorough understanding of particle curtain dynamics at larger scales, especially longer drop heights, for design certainty. The goal of this project will be to construct a cold falling particle curtain test rig capable of simulating particle characteristics that are expected in a commercial scale CSP plant, namely the drop height, curtain thickness, and particle mass flow rate (normalized by length of curtain). This will enable data collection on curtain opacity and spread, both of which are correlated to receiver efficiency and reliable construction, for commercially relevant scales. It will also permit validation of numerical models that will enable detailed receiver characterization and design past currently validated scales.

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Sandlin, Matthew James [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)]. 2025-01-02. Characterizing falling particle curtain receivers at commercially relevant scales: Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR-1). https://doi.org/10.2172/2516827

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