Solar reactors can convert intermittent solar radiation into storable chemical energy in the form of fuels that are transportable. In order to use solar energy as a source of high temperature process heat in a solar reactor, incident radiation needs to be concentrated over a small surface area, the inlet of which is called the aperture. The image of the incoming solar radiation over the aperture can be approximated by a Gaussian distribution where the solar radiation inside the reactor varies by the peak value and aperture size. Due to the transient nature of solar energy, there is a critical need for proper control to maximize system efficiency under field conditions. The objective of this paper is to present numerically proven advantages of having a camera-like variable aperture, one that is sensitive to natural variations in solar flux, and having the ability to shrink or enlarge accordingly in order to maintain quasi-constant radiation inside the reactor. Since the internal temperature has a major impact on reactant to product conversion efficiency, by maintaining the temperature constant, process efficiency is kept high. By maintaining the internal temperature despite transient operating conditions, the system can maintain peak performance through a wider insolation range than fixed aperture systems. Our numerical results from optical, thermodynamic, and flow dynamic simulations led us to develop a computational two dimensional heat transfer distribution model inside the reactor in order to validate our optical results. The combined simulation results show that correctly varying the aperture diameter with respect to transient incoming solar flux densities facilitates the maintenance of quasi-constant temperature distributions inside the reactor.
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e-mail: nesrin.ozalp@qatar.tamu.edu
e-mail: anthony.toyama@qatar.tamu.edu
e-mail: jayakrishna.devanuri@qatar.tamu.edu
e-mail: reza.rowshan@qatar.tamu.edu
e-mail: yasser.al-hamidi@qatar.tamu.edu
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February 2011
Research Papers
Effect of Cameralike Aperture in Quest for Maintaining Quasi-Constant Radiation Inside a Solar Reactor
Nesrin Ozalp,
Nesrin Ozalp
Mem. ASME
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: nesrin.ozalp@qatar.tamu.edu
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Anthony Toyama,
Anthony Toyama
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: anthony.toyama@qatar.tamu.edu
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Jayakrishna Devanuri,
Jayakrishna Devanuri
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: jayakrishna.devanuri@qatar.tamu.edu
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Reza Rowshan,
Reza Rowshan
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: reza.rowshan@qatar.tamu.edu
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Yasser Al-Hamidi
Yasser Al-Hamidi
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: yasser.al-hamidi@qatar.tamu.edu
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatar
Search for other works by this author on:
Nesrin Ozalp
Mem. ASME
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatare-mail: nesrin.ozalp@qatar.tamu.edu
Anthony Toyama
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatare-mail: anthony.toyama@qatar.tamu.edu
Jayakrishna Devanuri
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatare-mail: jayakrishna.devanuri@qatar.tamu.edu
Reza Rowshan
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatare-mail: reza.rowshan@qatar.tamu.edu
Yasser Al-Hamidi
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University at Qatar
, P.O. Box 23874, Doha 23874, Qatare-mail: yasser.al-hamidi@qatar.tamu.edu
J. Mech. Des. Feb 2011, 133(2): 021002 (7 pages)
Published Online: January 24, 2011
Article history
Received:
January 25, 2010
Revised:
November 17, 2010
Online:
January 24, 2011
Published:
January 24, 2011
Citation
Ozalp, N., Toyama, A., Devanuri, J., Rowshan, R., and Al-Hamidi, Y. (January 24, 2011). "Effect of Cameralike Aperture in Quest for Maintaining Quasi-Constant Radiation Inside a Solar Reactor." ASME. J. Mech. Des. February 2011; 133(2): 021002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4003179
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