Spillage Recovery Devices for High Temperature Air-Based Solar Thermal Receivers

Abstract

This paper presents the development and implementation of a novel approach to spillage recovery devices (SRDs) for high-temperature air-based solar thermal receivers by Odqa Renewable Energy Technologies Ltd. As concentrated solar thermal systems push towards higher operating temperatures to improve efficiency, spillage becomes a significant technical challenge, increasing both in flux and overall fraction of the incident power. Odqa’s air-based receiver design however, leverages heat recovery and regeneration, allowing spillage to be repurposed rather than wasted. This paper investigates the impact of SRDs on some key CST parameters such as aperture size. The first section explores the sensitivity of receiver performance to SRD integration, while the second details Odqa’s approach to developing such a system for a 100kW receiver prototype. The optimized SRD design, tailored to distinct operational conditions, demonstrates the feasibility of such an approach and their potential use as mechanism to increase the overall performance of CST systems cost.