An analysis of the beam down optical experiment (BDOE) performance with full concentration is presented. The analysis is based on radiation flux distribution data taken on Mar. 21st, 2011 using an optical-thermal flux measurement system. A hypothetical thermal receiver design is used in conjunction with the experimental data to determine the optimal receiver aperture size as a function of receiver losses and flux distribution. The overall output of the plant is calculated for various operating temperatures and three different control strategies namely, constant mass flow of the heat transfer fluid (HTF), constant outlet fluid temperature and real-time optimal outlet fluid temperature. It was found that the optimal receiver aperture size (radius) of the receiver ranged between (1.06 and 1.71 m) depending on temperature. The optical efficiency of the BDOE ranged from 32% to 37% as a daily average (average over the ten sunshine hours). The daily average mean flux density ranged between 9.422 kW/m2 for the 1.71 m-receiver and 20.9 kW/m2 for the 1.06 m-receiver. Depending on the control parameters and assuming an open receiver with solar absorptivity of 0.95 and longwave emissivity of 0.10. The average receiver efficiency varied from 71% at 300 °C down to 68% at 600 °C. The overall daily average thermal efficiency of the plant was between 28% and 24%, respectively for the aforementioned temperatures. The peak of useful power collected in the HTF was around 105 kWth at 300 °C mean fluid temperature and 89 kWth at 600 °C.
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November 2014
Research-Article
Performance of a 100 kWth Concentrated Solar Beam-Down Optical Experiment
Marwan Mokhtar,
Marwan Mokhtar
Research Engineer
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: marwan.mukhtar@gmail.com
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
,Abu Dhabi 54224
, UAE
e-mail: marwan.mukhtar@gmail.com
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Steven A. Meyers,
Steven A. Meyers
Research Engineer
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
,Abu Dhabi 54224
, UAE
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Peter R. Armstrong,
Peter R. Armstrong
Associate Professor
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: parmstrong@masdar.ac.ae
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
,Abu Dhabi 54224
, UAE
e-mail: parmstrong@masdar.ac.ae
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Matteo Chiesa
Matteo Chiesa
Associate Professor
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: mchiesa@masdar.ac.ae
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
,Abu Dhabi 54224
, UAE
e-mail: mchiesa@masdar.ac.ae
Search for other works by this author on:
Marwan Mokhtar
Research Engineer
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: marwan.mukhtar@gmail.com
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
,Abu Dhabi 54224
, UAE
e-mail: marwan.mukhtar@gmail.com
Steven A. Meyers
Research Engineer
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
,Abu Dhabi 54224
, UAE
Peter R. Armstrong
Associate Professor
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: parmstrong@masdar.ac.ae
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
,Abu Dhabi 54224
, UAE
e-mail: parmstrong@masdar.ac.ae
Matteo Chiesa
Associate Professor
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: mchiesa@masdar.ac.ae
Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science (LENS),
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
,Abu Dhabi 54224
, UAE
e-mail: mchiesa@masdar.ac.ae
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING: INCLUDING WIND ENERGY AND BUILDING ENERGY CONSERVATION. Manuscript received April 7, 2014; final manuscript received April 10, 2014; published online May 15, 2014. Editor: Gilles Flamant.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Nov 2014, 136(4): 041007 (8 pages)
Published Online: May 15, 2014
Article history
Received:
April 7, 2014
Revision Received:
April 10, 2014
Citation
Mokhtar, M., Meyers, S. A., Armstrong, P. R., and Chiesa, M. (May 15, 2014). "Performance of a 100 kWth Concentrated Solar Beam-Down Optical Experiment." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. November 2014; 136(4): 041007. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4027576
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