Innovative design of a solar volumetric receiver: Arrangements of absorbing block configurations

Innovative design of a solar volumetric receiver is introduced and influence of the absorption coefficient and geometric orientations of the absorbing blocks on the receiver performance is presented. An analytical expression is incorporated for the selection of the absorption coefficient of the absorbing blocks within the receiver; in which case, the intensity parameter (n) is used to alter the absorption characteristics of the blocks. The aerodynamic design of the absorbing blocks is considered to minimize the pressure drop across the receiver inlet and exit ports. Air is used as the working fluid inside the receiver. Energy transfer parameter is defined to assess the energy gain by the working fluid against the amount of solar energy absorbed by the blocks. Similarly, the global effectiveness of the receiver is introduced to determine the ratio of the useful thermal energy gained by the working fluid over the overall solar irradiation reached to the receiver. It is found that the energy transfer parameter increases for certain arrangements of the absorbing blocks in the receiver; in which case, power intensity parameter is n = 0.35 and two absorbing blocks configuration results in the highest energy transfer parameter. The similar arguments are true for the global effectiveness of the solar volumetric receiver.