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Numerical Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Supercritical CO 2 in Solar Tower Microchannel Receivers at High Temperature

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  • Xiaoru Zhuang

    (School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen 518055, China)

  • Haitao Wang

    (School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen 518055, China)

  • Haoran Lu

    (China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Beijing 100076, China)

  • Zhi Yang

    (School of Material and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Hao Guo

    (Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China)

Abstract

Using supercritical CO 2 as a heat transfer fluid in microchannel receivers is a promising alternative for tower concentrating solar power plants. In this paper, the heat transfer and flow characteristics of supercritical CO 2 in microchannels at high temperature are investigated by numerical simulations. The effects of microchannel structure, mass flow rate, heat flux, pressure, inlet temperature and radiation are analyzed and discussed. The results show that higher mass flow rate obtains poorer heat transfer performance with larger flow resistance of supercritical CO 2 in microchannels at high temperature. The fluid and wall temperatures, average heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop all increase nearly linearly with the increases in heat flux and inlet temperature in the high-temperature region. Moreover, high pressure contributes to great hydraulic performance with approximate thermal performance. The effect of radiation on thermal performance is more pronounced than that on hydraulic performance. Furthermore, the optimized structures of inlet and outlet headers, as well as those of the multichannel in the microchannels, are proposed to obtain good temperature uniformity in the microchannels with relatively low pressure drop. The results given in the current study can be conducive to the design and application of microchannel receivers with supercritical CO 2 as a heat transfer fluid in the third generation of concentrating solar power plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoru Zhuang & Haitao Wang & Haoran Lu & Zhi Yang & Hao Guo, 2023. "Numerical Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Supercritical CO 2 in Solar Tower Microchannel Receivers at High Temperature," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-19, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:18:p:6445-:d:1234155
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Benoit, H. & Spreafico, L. & Gauthier, D. & Flamant, G., 2016. "Review of heat transfer fluids in tube-receivers used in concentrating solar thermal systems: Properties and heat transfer coefficients," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 298-315.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cheng Zhang & Na Li & Guangqi An, 2024. "Review of Concentrated Solar Power Technology Applications in Photocatalytic Water Purification and Energy Conversion: Overview, Challenges and Future Directions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-24, January.

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