Comparison of the heat transfer characteristics of molten salt, liquid sodium and supercritical CO2 in bayonet tubes of solar tower receivers

Abstract

The solar tower receivers tend to experience rupture problems due to the high thermal gradients and the corrosion produced by the working fluid, typically solar salt. In this work we have developed a series of CFD simulations to study a new receiver design composed of bayonet tubes aimed to reduce the overheating the receiver in the most thermally demanded area. These simulations evaluate the thermal behavior of the tubes for different working fluids, i.e. molten salt, liquid sodium and supercritical CO2. The simulations show that, for all the working fluids analyzed, it is possible to reduce the high temperatures of the tube thanks to the asymmetries created when the bayonet tube has an eccentric configuration. Besides, the greatest reduction of temperature in bayonet tubes is achieved when the working fluid is liquid sodium due to its higher thermal conductivity.