Conceptual Study of Central Receiver Systems with Liquid Metals as Efficient Heat Transfer Fluids

Fritsch, Andreas; Flesch, Jonathan; Geža, Vadims; Singer, Csaba; Uhlig, Ralf; Hoffschmidt, Bernhard

doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2015.03.074

Cited by 44 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The comparison shall consider LCOE, operational aspects and safety issues. The current state of these activities is being presented in [24] (to be published in this edition of the Energy Procedia).…”

Section: System Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Construction of a Test Facility for Demonstration of a Liquid Lead-bismuth-cooled 10kW Thermal Receiver in a Solar Furnace Arrangement - SOMMER

et al. 2015

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Liquid metals have been proposed in the past as high temperature heat transfer media in concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. Until the mid 80s test facilities were operated with liquid sodium-cooled central receivers. After a period of reduced interest in that approach, several new efforts have been reported recently, particularly from the US, South Africa and Australia. In addition, several recent publications have highlighted the attractive properties of liquid metals for CSP applications. A new contribution to this topic has been launched by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Solar Institute of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), combining their experience in CSP and liquid metal technology. The overall goals of this project are planning, design, construction and operation of a small concentrating solar power system in the 10 kW thermal range (named SOMMER) using liquid metal as heat transfer fluid for re-gaining operation experience and validating design methodology and providing a complete design concept for a large pilot CSP plant based on liquid metal technology, up to evaluation of O&M cost and levelized cost of electricity. This paper describes the current status of the work on the design and setup of SOMMER, the research goals of this facility, first results of numerical activities in view of the liquid metal cooled receiver design and the connection to the design activities for the pilot plant.

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Section: System Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Construction of a Test Facility for Demonstration of a Liquid Lead-bismuth-cooled 10kW Thermal Receiver in a Solar Furnace Arrangement - SOMMER

et al. 2015

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“…The void fraction is set to 0.25, similar to [8], [41]. In a review of Singh et al [42] void fractions of 0.136 to 0.67 are listed depending on the storage material.…”

Section: Storage Medium Costmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, higher temperatures are possible with sodium in principle. The upper temperature limit of sodium is 883 • C [40], but for a first assessment an upper temperature of 640 • C is assumed, similar to [8], which could be in principle realized in an ultra-supercritical steam or a gas cycle. With this higher upper temperature of 640 • C a dual-media sodium storage with filler has the lowest storage medium cost compared to the other sensible liquid storage systems, both single-medium and dual-media.…”

Section: Storage Medium Costmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among these, sodium possesses the best heat transfer characteristics, but presents a safety risk due to the high reactivity with humid air or water. It has already been tested as heat transfer fluid in a central receiver system in the IEA-SSPS in Almeria in the 1980s [6] with a storage system of 5 MWh th [7] and regained interest in recent years [8], [9], [10]. Thermal energy storage in a sodium-based central receiver system beyond the two tank arrangement used in the IEA-SSPS has not been investigated yet in recent literature, even though it is crucial for the competitiveness of LMbased CSP with respect to the state-of-the-art molten salt technology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of thermal energy storage options in a sodium-based CSP plant

Niedermeier

Flesch

Marocco

et al. 2016

Applied Thermal Engineering

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“…Thep ossibility offered by liquid metals to increaset he temperature of the heat source brings about ac lear thermodynamic advantage as far as the maximum efficiency attainable is concerned. To utilize this potential, the technologies employed in the power block must be changed from what is currently used in commercial plants to innovative solutions that are tailored to the high temperatures reached by liquid metals.I np articular, subcritical steam cycles with higher live steam temperatures and pressures,s upercritical steam cycles, or supercriticalC O 2 are the best candidates to replace the standards ubcritical Rankine cycle in high-temperature CSP [14] systems.…”

Section: Liquid Metals In Concentrating Solar Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid Metals as Efficient High‐Temperature Heat‐Transport Fluids

et al. 2017

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Liquid metals appear to be attractive heat‐transport fluids, in particular if looking at their high thermal conductivities and low viscosities. Despite some pioneering technical applications in the past, complex handling, special requirements, safety concerns, and structural degradation of the materials have prevented their widespread application. However, progress in research and development on liquid‐metal science and technology has advanced considerably in the last decade, and this has opened the gate to their broader use in the short term. This requires a more differentiated view on liquid metals, particularly on the specific properties of individual fluids within the context of specific applications. By doing so, many commonly mentioned prejudices vanish or are of minor significance. At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a comprehensive research program on liquid‐metal technology has been pursued for more than 50 years, and some of the advances in different applications will be outlined in this article.

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Conceptual Study of Central Receiver Systems with Liquid Metals as Efficient Heat Transfer Fluids

Cited by 44 publications

References 19 publications

Construction of a Test Facility for Demonstration of a Liquid Lead-bismuth-cooled 10kW Thermal Receiver in a Solar Furnace Arrangement - SOMMER

Construction of a Test Facility for Demonstration of a Liquid Lead-bismuth-cooled 10kW Thermal Receiver in a Solar Furnace Arrangement - SOMMER

Assessment of thermal energy storage options in a sodium-based CSP plant

Liquid Metals as Efficient High‐Temperature Heat‐Transport Fluids

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