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Description
Central receivers for solar power towers have recently been under intense investigation. They can convert solar radiation into electricity by supplying heat to a thermodynamic cycle. In particular, air-cooled solar central receivers can power gas turbine engines for electrical generation. Solar heating of the compressed air is realized in a pressurized volumetric receiver. A new type of receiver module consists of an insulated pressure vessel, closed by a quartz glass window and a mixture of small particles in air as working medium. The process has so far been investigated mainly in Spain, Israel, Germany and United States with different designs with varying power outputs, all below 400 kW. However, the critical part of the whole assembly is the window which transmits solar flux into the receiver. To overcome the drawbacks of the previously designed windows a new geometry was developed and an appropriate method of building it economically and commercially is suggested. The main focus of this project is to analyze different materials obtainable from the market, Optimize the window design of one large window and Ideal mounting arrangement. A part of this work is carried out by using Finite Element Analysis of quartz glass windows of different shapes using the commercial software Hypermesh and Solidworks. The analysis will be performed taking in to account the load and boundary conditions for the window design. The operating conditions for the receiver will provide a uniform 5bar pressure distribution on the window. The high pressure makes receiver window design difficult, further analysis was done with considering different seal arrangements for window design and a better seal arrangement with reduced stresses on to the window is suggested. Finally a unique morphed geometry of the window was produced and a seal arrangement for it was suggested. Project is been multi-disciplinary in nature with structural analysis followed by modeling and optimization of the different geometries.
