Recent Advancements in High-Temperature Solar Particle Receivers for Industrial Decarbonization

Muhammad M. Rafique (), Shafiqur Rehman and Luai M. Alhems
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Muhammad M. Rafique: School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Shafiqur Rehman: Interdisciplinary Research Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 34464, Saudi Arabia
Luai M. Alhems: Applied Research Center for Environment and Marine Studies (ARCEMS), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 34464, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-32

Abstract: Concentrated solar thermal (CST) systems are pivotal in the pursuit of renewable energy solutions to meet emissions reduction targets. They play a vital role in addressing the negative impacts of energy-intensive industrial processes, such as the high-temperature calcination step in the alumina Bayer process, requiring temperatures of approximately 1000 °C. However, achieving such high temperatures poses challenges, as radiative losses increase significantly with temperature. Current commercially available CST technologies, employing heat transfer mediums like molten salts, are constrained to temperatures below 600 °C. The emerging focus on sand-like ceramic particles, either as standalone materials or in suspension within an air stream, as heat transfer mediums signifies a promising avenue in the development of high-temperature receiver-based CST technologies. These particle-laden suspension flow receiver systems have the potential to reach operating temperatures exceeding 1000 °C. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of CST technologies, with a primary focus on high-temperature particle receivers. It sheds light on the existing challenges within the CST state-of-the-art technologies and introduces the concept of refractory-lined particle receivers. This paper also underscores the significance of transient-based thermal analysis for high-temperature particle receivers and highlights the necessity of such analyses to guide their practical implementation. By addressing these critical aspects, this review paper contributes to the advancement of CST technologies, emphasizing their role in achieving sustainable, high-temperature heat for emission reduction objectives.

Keywords: concentrated solar thermal; high-temperature particle receivers; refractory-lining; solar transients; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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