Proof of concept test of a centrifugal particle receiver

As a proof of concept a Centrifugal Particle Receiver (CentRec) prototype in laboratory scale (similar to 10 kW(th)) was designed, built and tested in the High-Flux Solar Simulator in Cologne, Germany. Since they can be heated up to 1000 degrees C without sintering in the storage, small bauxite particles produced for the oil and gas industry are used as the absorber, the heat transfer and storage media at the same time. A defined rotation is used to form a thin direct absorbing particle film on the inner surface of the cylindrical receiver. Depending on the incoming heat flux the particle residence time can be adjusted by controlling rotation speed and mass flow. A constant particle outlet temperature for all load conditions can be therefore ensured. First experiments were conducted with various power levels and mass flows at two different receiver inclinations. Particle outlet temperatures of up to 900 degrees C were demonstrated and the expected simple control capability of the receiver concept was verified. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).