Given the largely untapped solar energy resource, there has been an ongoing international effort to engineer improved solar-harvesting technologies. Toward this, the possibility of engineering a solar selective volumetric receiver (SSVR) has been explored in the present study. Common heat transfer liquids (HTLs) typically have high transmissivity in the visible-near infrared (VIS-NIR) region and high emission in the midinfrared region, due to the presence of intramolecular vibration bands. This precludes them from being solar absorbers. In fact, they have nearly the opposite properties from selective surfaces such as cermet, TiNOX, and black chrome. However, liquid receivers which approach the radiative properties of selective surfaces can be realized through a combination of anisotropic geometries of metal nanoparticles (or broad band absorption multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)) and transparent heat mirrors. SSVRs represent a paradigm shift in the manner in which solar thermal energy is harnessed and promise higher thermal efficiencies (and lower material requirements) than their surface absorption-based counterparts. In the present work, the “effective” solar absorption to infrared emission ratio has been evaluated for a representative SSVR employing copper nanospheroids/MWCNTs and Sn-In2O3 based heat mirrors. It has been found that a solar selectivity comparable to (or even higher than) cermet-based Schott receiver is achievable through control of the cut-off solar selective wavelength. Theoretical calculations show that the thermal efficiency of Sn-In2O3 based SSVR is 6–7% higher than the cermet-based Schott receiver. Furthermore, stagnation temperature experiments have been conducted on a laboratory-scale SSVR to validate the theoretical results. It has been found that higher stagnation temperatures (and hence higher thermal efficiencies) compared to conventional surface absorption-based collectors are achievable through proper control of nanoparticle concentration.
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Research-Article
Solar Selective Volumetric Receivers for Harnessing Solar Thermal Energy
Vikrant Khullar,
Vikrant Khullar
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Thapar University,
Patiala 147004, Punjab, India
e-mail: vikrantkhullar1@gmail.com
Thapar University,
Patiala 147004, Punjab, India
e-mail: vikrantkhullar1@gmail.com
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Himanshu Tyagi,
Himanshu Tyagi
School of Mechanical, Materials,
and Energy Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar,
Rupnagar 140001, India
and Energy Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar,
Rupnagar 140001, India
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Todd P. Otanicar,
Todd P. Otanicar
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The University of Tulsa,
Tulsa, OK 74104
The University of Tulsa,
Tulsa, OK 74104
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Yasitha L. Hewakuruppu,
Yasitha L. Hewakuruppu
School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, Australia
Manufacturing Engineering,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, Australia
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Robert A. Taylor
Robert A. Taylor
School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering,
School of Photovoltaics and
Renewable Energy Engineering,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, Australia
Manufacturing Engineering,
School of Photovoltaics and
Renewable Energy Engineering,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Vikrant Khullar
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Thapar University,
Patiala 147004, Punjab, India
e-mail: vikrantkhullar1@gmail.com
Thapar University,
Patiala 147004, Punjab, India
e-mail: vikrantkhullar1@gmail.com
Himanshu Tyagi
School of Mechanical, Materials,
and Energy Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar,
Rupnagar 140001, India
and Energy Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar,
Rupnagar 140001, India
Todd P. Otanicar
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The University of Tulsa,
Tulsa, OK 74104
The University of Tulsa,
Tulsa, OK 74104
Yasitha L. Hewakuruppu
School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, Australia
Manufacturing Engineering,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, Australia
Robert A. Taylor
School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering,
School of Photovoltaics and
Renewable Energy Engineering,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, Australia
Manufacturing Engineering,
School of Photovoltaics and
Renewable Energy Engineering,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney 2052, Australia
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF HEAT TRANSFER. Manuscript received December 31, 2016; final manuscript received January 15, 2018; published online April 11, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Ali Khounsary.
J. Heat Transfer. Jun 2018, 140(6): 062702 (15 pages)
Published Online: April 11, 2018
Article history
Received:
December 31, 2016
Revised:
January 15, 2018
Citation
Khullar, V., Tyagi, H., Otanicar, T. P., Hewakuruppu, Y. L., and Taylor, R. A. (April 11, 2018). "Solar Selective Volumetric Receivers for Harnessing Solar Thermal Energy." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. June 2018; 140(6): 062702. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039214
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