• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.03a
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• pp.120-125
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• 2012

Daegu Solar Power Tower Plant of a 200 kW thermal capacity uses an open air receiver. An air receiver is generally based on the volumetric receiver concept with porous ceramic absorbers. Because absorber material is important in the volumetric receiver, ceramic materials with excellent thermal conductivity, high solar absorptivity and good thermal stability have been researched. KIER also developed SiC honeycomb absorber modules and evaluated performance of the modules at the KIER solar furnace. For performance evaluation, we made an open volumetric receiver containing the modules and measured the outlet temperature and the efficiency. It is demonstrated that performance of the KIER absorber is comparable to that of a reference absorber developed by DLR.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.184-187
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• 2006

The heat transfer characteristics of solar tower receivers are experimentally investigated with receiver shapes. Generally the heat transfer characteristics become different according to the shapes and materials of the volumetric air receiver. In order to study these effects, The experimental apparatus adopting laminated mesh and honeycombs as the volumetric air receiver is proposed. The receiver consists of laminated mesh (diameter; 100mm, thickness; 1mm), honeycombs (diameter; 100mm, thickness; 30 mm) inserted out the heat transfer characteristics of the laminated mesh the air temperatures are obtained by installing 3 thermocouples on each layer, dividing ceramic tube into 4 layers. Also, a radiative shield is installed to measure the only air temperature. The data for laminated mesh and honeycomb thickness of 30, 60, 90mm are obtained. The results show that the temperature of layer 3 is higher than those of layer 2 and layer 1.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.223-228
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• 2011

The volumetric solar receiver is a key element of solar power plants using air. The solar flux distribution inside the receiver should be a priori known for its heat transfer modeling. Previous works have not considered characteristics of the solar flux although they change with radiative properties of receiver materials and receiver geometries. A numerical method, which is based on the Monte Carlo ray-tracing method, was developed in the current work. The solar flux distributions inside multi-channeled volumetric solar receivers were calculated when light is concentrated at the KIER solar furnace. It turned out that 99 percentage of the concentrated solar energy is absorbed within 15 mm charmel length for the charmel radius smaller than 1.5 mm. If the concentrated light is assumed to be diffuse, the absorbed solar energy at the charmel entrance region is overpredicted while the light penetrates more deeply into the charmel. The developed method will help understand the solar flux when only a part of concentrated light is of interest. Furthermore, if the presented results are applied for heat transfer modeling of multi-channeled volumetric solar receivers, one could examine effects of receiver charmel properties and shape on air temperature profiles.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3389-3394
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• 2007

Characteristics of heat transfer and pressure drops of fills for solar tower volumetric air receivers are experimentally investigated with the material and the thickness. The volumetric air receiver considered in this paper consists of a ceramic tube and fills are inserted in the ceramic tube. Air is used as the working fluid. Two materials, which are a honeycomb(diameter: 100mm, thickness: 30mm) and laminated mesh(diameter: 100mm, thickness: 1mm), are considered as the fills. In order to investigate the characteristics of heat transfer of fills, this volumetric air receiver is heated by an electric heater and air temperatures in ceramic tube are measured. Also, the radiative shields are installed to measure the only air temperature. In addition, the pressure losses are measured with the thickness of fills while the air goes through the fills inserted in an acrylic tube. The flow becomes turbulent and fully developed in front of the fills. The results show that the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the laminated mesh are superior to those of the honeycomb.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2007

The heat transfer characteristics of solar tower receivers are experimentally investigated with receiver shapes. Generally, these become different according to the shapes and materials of the volumetric air receiver. In order to study these effects, the apparatus adopting laminated mesh and honeycombs as the volumetric air receiver is proposed. The receiver consists of laminated mesh (diameter; 100 mm, thickness; 1 mm), honeycombs (diameter; 100 mm, thickness; 30 mm) inserted into ceramic tube (inside diameter; 100 mm, outside diameter; 120 mm, length: 1000 mm). To apply heat to the receiver, an electric heater is used. To find out the heat transfer characteristics of the laminated mesh, the air temperatures are obtained by installing 3 thermocouples on each layer, dividing ceramic tube into 4 layers. Also, a radiative shield is installed to measure the only air temperature. The data for laminated mesh and honeycomb thickness of 30, 60, 90 mm are obtained. The results show that the temperature of layer 3 is higher than those of layer 2 and layer 1.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.760-766
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• 2008

The characteristics of heat transfer and pressure drop of several different porous materials which can be used as inserts inside solar volumetric air receivers were experimentally investigated. Generally, porous materials were inserted into solar volumetric air receivers to increase the thermal performance. In the present work, honeycomb (diameter: 100 mm, thickness: 30 mm), laminated mesh (diameter: 100 mm, thickness: 1 mm) are considered as the inserts for the experiment. The experimental apparatus consists mainly of a cylindrical ceramic duct as a receiver and an electric heater as an energy source. This system is an intake open loop, which used as air of working fluid. The temperatures inside the ceramic tube are measured by thermocouples, which are installed at each layer of the porous materials. The pressure-drop experimental apparatus is fabricated alike the above experimental equipment. An acrylic tube is used like as the ceramic tube, which has the same specifications of the ceramic tube. The pressure drop of porous materials inserted in the acrylic tube is measured between front and rear of those by transmitter. The results show that the laminated mesh surpasses the honeycomb of heat transfer and pressure drop increase as the porous material thickness and Reynolds number.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.04a
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• pp.49-54
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• 2009

This study focus on verification of the thermal efficiency of volumetric receiver with $5kW_{th}$ Dish-type solar thermal system. Spiral flow path shaped on receiver and working fluid(steam) flow along the this flow path. Porous material for radiation-thermal conversion used in former researches are substituted with the stainless steel wall installed along the spiral shaped flow path. Numerical analysis for the flow path and temperature distributions are carried out. Numerical results are compared with experimental data. Using the numerical model, the heat transfer characteristics of spiral type receiver for dish-type solar thermal systems are known and the thermal performance of the receiver can be estimated.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11b
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• pp.2094-2099
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• 2008

A numerical and experimental studies are carried out to investigate the transient heat transfer characteristics of 5kWth dish-type solar air receiver. Measured solar radiation and temperatures at several different locations are used as boundary conditions for numerical simulation. Many parameters' effects (reflectivity of the reflector, the thermal conductivity of the receiver body, transmissivity of the quartz window, etc.) on the thermal performance are investigated. Discrete Transfer Method is used to calculate the radiation heat exchange in the receiver. A transient heat transfer model is developed and the rate of radiation, convection and conduction heat transfer are calculated. Comparing the experimental and numerical results, good agreement is obtained. Using the numerical model, the transient heat transfer characteristics of volumetric air receiver for dish-type solar thermal systems are known and the transient thermal performance of the receiver can be estimated.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.41-47
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• 2011

The volumetric solar receiver is a key element of solar power plants using air. The solar flux distribution inside the receiver should be a priori known for its heat transfer analysis. Previous works have not considered characteristics of the solar flux although they change with radiative properties of receiver materials and receiver geometries. A numerical method, which is based on the Monte Carlo ray-tracing method, was developed in the current work. The solar flux distributions inside multi-channeled volumetric solar receivers were calculated when light is concentrated at the KIER solar furnace. It turned out that 99 percentage of the concentrated solar energy is absorbed within 15mm channel length for the channel radius smaller than 1.5mm. If the concentrated light is assumed to be diffuse, the absorbed solar energy at the channel entrance region is over predicted while the light penetrates more deeply into the channel. Once the presented results are imported into the heat transfer analysis, one could examine effects of material property and geometry of the receiver on air temperature profiles.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.277-284
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• 2012

In this study, a heat-transfer performance analysis is carried out for a multi-channel volumetric air receiver for a solar power tower. On the basis of a series of reviews regarding the relevant literature, a calculation process is proposed for the prediction of the wall- and air- temperature distributions of a single channel at given geometric and input conditions. Furthermore, a unique mathematical model of the receiver effectiveness is presented through analysis of the temperature profile. The receiver is made of silicon carbide. A total of 225 square straight channels per module are molded to induce the air flow, and each channel has the dimensions of $2mm(W){\times}2mm(H){\times}0.2mm(t){\times}320mm(L)$. The heat-transfer rate, temperature distribution and effectiveness are presented according to the variation of the channel and module number under uniform irradiation and mass flow rate. The available air outlet temperature applied to the solar power tower should be over $700^{\circ}C$. This numerical model was actually used in the design of a 200 kW-level commercial solar air receiver, and the required number of modules satisfying the thermal performance could be obtained for the specified geometric and input conditions.