Multiple Air-Jet Window Cooling for High-Temperature Pressurized Volumetric Receivers: Testing, Evaluation, and Modeling

Abstract

High air outlet temperatures increase the solar share of pressurized solar receivers for gas turbines, operated in solar-fossil hybrid mode. However, an increase in outlet temperature over 800°C leads to excessive heating of the receiver window, unless it is actively cooled. This paper describes modeling, testing and evaluation of a high-temperature receiver with external multiple air-jet window cooling. An asymmetric window-cooling design with pulsating air mass flow rates achieves suitable cooling of the concave fused-silica window. A thermodynamic receiver model, comprising non-gray radiative heat transfer, convection and conduction is the basis of the external window cooling design. In addition to high-temperature testing with window cooling in operation, solar tests at lower temperatures with no window cooling were conducted to verify the thermodynamic receiver model. Temperature distributions on the quartz window and the absorber were determined by an infrared (IR) scanner which was specially developed for temperature measurement on the high-temperature module. Comparisons of simulations and measurements show good agreement. With multiple air-jet window cooling, receiver air outlet temperatures over 1000°C could be reached, while window temperatures are kept below 800°C.