Multi-stage falling particle receivers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11846451-B2
Application number	US-202117158745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2021
Priority date	Apr 16, 2018
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to multi-stage falling particle receivers and methods of falling particle heating. As the particles fall through the receiver, the particles are periodically collected and released by flow retarding devices. The periodic catch-and-release of the particles falling through the receiver reduces particle flow dispersion, increases particle opacity and solar absorption, and reduces erosion and damage to surfaces caused by direct particle impingement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar receiver, comprising:
a housing comprising at least one opening for receiving concentrated solar irradiance and a front wall and a rear wall; and
a flow retarding system comprising two or more flow retention devices separated by a vertical distance disposed within the housing for receiving, accumulating and releasing particles as the particles fall through the solar receiver; wherein the particles are impinged by irradiance as the particles flow between the two or more flow retention devices; and
wherein the particles are impinged by irradiance for the distance separating the two or more flow retention devices.

2. The solar receiver of claim 1 , wherein the two or more flow retention devices are selected from a group consisting of troughs and ledges.

3. The solar receiver of claim 2 , wherein the two or more flow retention devices are troughs and the troughs are positioned within the housing so that the troughs are not irradiated by concentrated solar irradiance entering the receiver.

4. The solar receiver of claim 2 , where the two or more flow retention devices are troughs and the troughs comprise one or more openings for releasing the particles.

5. The solar receiver of claim 4 , wherein the two or more openings release particles to a particle outlet at the bottom of the trough.

6. The solar receiver of claim 2 , wherein the flow retention devices are troughs and two or more of the troughs are connected to the rear wall by mounts inclined downward away from the rear wall.

7. The solar receiver of claim 2 , wherein the flow retention devices are troughs configured to discharge particles away from the rear wall creating a cascade of particles away from the rear wall.

8. The solar receiver of claim 2 , wherein the two or more flow retention devices are ledges.

9. The solar receiver of claim 8 , wherein the ledges are inclined downward towards irradiance entering the solar receiver creating a cascade of falling particles.

10. The solar receiver of claim 8 , wherein the ledges are horizontal.

11. The solar receiver of claim 8 , wherein the ledges comprise an inclined portion and a flow barrier portion.

12. The solar receiver of claim 8 , where the ledges are configured to direct particle flow downward towards the rear wall.

13. The solar receiver of claim 1 , wherein the flow retarding system further comprises a flow directing device inclined attached to the rear wall.

14. The solar receiver of claim 1 , wherein the rear wall is inclined downward towards the direction of solar irradiance.

15. The solar receiver of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the one or more flow retention devices are actively or passively controlled to adjust particle flow.

16. A falling particle solar heating method, comprising
providing particles to a solar receiver; and
collecting, accumulating and releasing particles in two or more flow retarding devices separated by a vertical distance as the particles fall through the solar receiver and are heated by solar irradiance;
wherein the solar irradiance impinges the particles as the particles flow between the two or more flow retention devices; and
wherein the particles are impinged by irradiance for the distance separating the two or more flow retention devices.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the two or more flow retarding devices are toughs.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the troughs include openings for discharging collected particles to a bottom outlet.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the two or more flow retarding devices are ledges.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the two or more flow retarding devices create a cascade of falling particles.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the cascade of falling particles protect the two or more flow retarding devices from concentrated solar irradiance entering the solar receiver.

Assignees

• Nat Tech & Eng Solutions Sandia Llc
• Commw Scient Ind Res Org
• Commw Scient Ind Res Org

Inventors

• Ho Clifford K
• Kim Jin-Soo
• Kumar Apurv

Classifications

• F24S70/16 Primary

  made of ceramic; made of concrete; made of natural stone · CPC title

• F24S25/40

  using plate-like mounting elements, e.g. profiled or corrugated plates; Plate-like module frames  (extending in directions away from a supporting surface F24S25/10) · CPC title

• F24S30/00

  Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules · CPC title

• F24S60/00

  Arrangements for storing heat collected by solar heat collectors (working fluids forming pools or ponds F24S10/10) · CPC title

• F24S20/20 Primary

  Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants · CPC title