Solar Absorber for Concentrated Solar Power Generation

Abstract

A solar absorber for a concentrated solar power (CSP) system includes a cylindrically shaped blackbody cavity receiver fused to a cylindrically shaped heat exchanger shell covering the receiver to form a monolithic cavity receiver and heat exchanger. An exterior surface of the cavity receiver has grooves embedded to create a duct spiraling about the exterior of the cavity receiver so that the duct forms tubes of a tube-style heat exchanger when covered by the heat exchanger shell. An interior diameter of the cavity receiver is greater than or equal to a diameter of an aperture of the cavity receiver, and a longitudinal interior depth of the cavity is greater than or equal to twice the interior diameter of the cavity receiver. The monolithic solar absorber is preferably composed of a ceramic material such as silicon carbide having emissivity greater than 0.9.

1 . A solar absorber for a concentrated solar power (CSP) system, the solar absorber comprising a ceramic blackbody cavity receiver and a ceramic heat exchanger shell fused to each other to form a monolithic cavity receiver and heat exchanger;
 wherein an exterior surface of the cavity receiver has grooves embedded to create a duct spiraling about the exterior of the cavity receiver,   wherein the heat exchanger shell covers the receiver such that the duct forms tubes of a tube-style heat exchanger;   wherein an interior diameter of the cavity receiver is greater than or equal to a diameter of an aperture of the cavity receiver,   wherein a longitudinal interior depth of the cavity is greater than or equal to twice the interior diameter of the cavity receiver.   
     
     
         2 . The solar absorber of  claim 1  wherein the cavity receiver and the heat exchanger are composed of a ceramic material having emissivity greater than 0.9. 
     
     
         3 . The solar absorber of  claim 1  wherein the cavity receiver and the heat exchanger are composed of silicon carbide. 
     
     
         4 . The solar absorber of  claim 3  wherein the interior diameter of the cavity receiver is equal to the diameter of the aperture of the cavity receiver. 
     
     
         5 . The solar absorber of  claim 1  wherein the cavity receiver and the heat exchanger are composed of silicon nitride. 
     
     
         6 . The solar absorber of  claim 1  wherein the duct has a rectangular cross-section. 
     
     
         7 . The solar absorber of  claim 1  wherein the blackbody cavity receiver and the heat exchanger shell have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, square, hexagon, and circle. 
     
     
         8 . The solar absorber of  claim 1  wherein the heat exchanger shell and blackbody cavity receiver both are cylindrically shaped.