Evaluation of Bladed and Flat-Plate Receiver in Central Tower Systems: A Ray Tracing Approach

Abstract

This chapter investigated a comparison between a single flat receiver and a Bladed receiver which consists of regularly spaced flat receivers. The use of central receivers for concentrating solar power enables greater solar concentrations and overall efficiencies than line-focus systems like parabolic troughs, and central receivers can employ thermal storage more readily than distributed point-focus technologies like dish engines We investigate an optical model of flat receiver and compare its efficiency with a bladed receiver using commercially available ray tracing software. In this investigation, a Radial Staggered (RS) pattern was implemented for the positioning of individual heliostats field as the field spreads (far away from the tower), the number of heliostats decreases with a rim angle which is indicative of the spread of the heliostat field.  In comparison to flat receiver arrangement, a bladed receiver configuration showed a higher ray tracing efficiency. In a bladed receiver design, the receiver closest to the ground exhibits the maximum efficiency.