The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods to control particle mass flow rate in solar receivers and associated heat exchangers based on feedback from one or more temperatures of particles in the system.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods to control particle mass flow rate in solar receivers and associated heat exchangers based on feedback from one or more temperatures of particles in the system.

A solar concentrator comprising: a base; a framework, the framework being hingedly joined to the base such that the framework can be rotated relative to the base; and a plurality of mirrors arranged relative to a first axis of the framework, such that all of the mirrors are located on one side of a plane which contains the first axis, each mirror being fixed to the framework and each mirror being arranged to reflect light travelling parallel to the first axis towards a common focus which lies on the first axis.

A device is disclosed for the storage and transfer of solar thermal energy which includes a casing having a irradiation opening for the entry of incident solar radiation in a irradiation region of the casing. a bed of fluidizable solid particles received within the casing, and a plurality of reflecting and radiating surfaces arranged within the irradiation region and configured to convey the solar radiation entering through the irradiation opening, after multiple reflections, on the bed of particles.

Systems and methods for falling particle receivers are disclosed that include shield or deflector structures around the receiver aperture to reduce wind effects and/or heat losses from the falling particles. External and internal structures are disclosed that can be tailored to reduce particle, thermal, and radiative losses from within the cavity receiver due to external wind and the falling particles that are irradiated within the receiver. Structures of varying shapes, sizes, and composition (transparent, reflective) are described.

Systems and methods for falling particle receivers are disclosed that include shield or deflector structures around the receiver aperture to reduce wind effects and/or heat losses from the falling particles. External and internal structures are disclosed that can be tailored to reduce particle, thermal, and radiative losses from within the cavity receiver due to external wind and the falling particles that are irradiated within the receiver. Structures of varying shapes, sizes, and composition (transparent, reflective) are described.

A nickel-chromium-aluminum alloy includes (in mass %) 12 to 30% chromium, 1.8 to 4.0% aluminum, 0.1 to 7.0% iron, 0.001 to 0.50% silicon, 0.001 to 2.0% manganese, 0.00 to 1.00% titanium, 0.00 to 1.10% niobium, 0.00 to 0.5% copper, 0.00 to 5.00% cobalt, in each case 0.0002 to 0.05% magnesium and/or calcium, 0.001 to 0.12% carbon, 0.001 to 0.050% nitrogen, 0.001 to 0.030% phosphorus, 0.0001 to 0.020% oxygen, max. 0.010% sulfur, max. 2.0% molybdenum, max. 2.0% tungsten, and a remainder of nickel with a minimum content of ≥50% and the usual process-related impurities for use in solar power towers, using chloride and/or carbonate salt melts as a heat transfer medium, wherein in order to ensure a good processability, the following condition must be met: Fv≥0.9 with Fv=4.88050−0.095546*Fe−0.0178784*Cr−0.992452*AI−1.51498*Ti−0.506893*Nb+0.0426004*AI*Fe, where Fe, Cr, AI, Ti, and Nb are the concentration of the respective elements in mass %.

Process for cracking hydrocarbon gases, wherein the hydrocarbon gas is passed through a flow channel of an absorptive receiver reactor (1, 30, 40), characterized in that cracking takes place during the passing through the receiver reactor (1, 30, 40), wherein in a first region (21) of the flow channel (2) the hydrocarbon gas is heated to its cracking temperature, in an adjoining second, downstream flow region (22) is heated to beyond its cracking temperature and in a third, further downstream region (23) of the flow channel is heated yet further and is brought therein into physical contact, over the cross-section of said region, with a reaction accelerator, after which the stream of products downstream of the reaction accelerator is discharged from the receiver reactor (1, 30, 40), and wherein the heating of the hydrocarbon gas to above its cracking temperature is achieved by absorption of blackbody radiation (20) which is given off by the reaction accelerator heated by solar radiation (7) incident thereupon to the hydrocarbon gas flowing towards it, in such a way that the hydrocarbon gas in the flow channel (2) and extending up to the reaction accelerator forms disc-shaped, consecutive temperature zones (60 to 67) of ever-increasing temperature extending transversely to the flow channel (2).

A system is disclosed that utilizes renewable energy to generate high temperature, superheated steam for driving a prime mover, such as a steam turbine coupled to an electrical generator, and/or to deliver heat where only a portion of the renewable energy system needs to withstand a high temperature working fluid that is necessary to generate high temperature superheated steam.

A system and method for inductive heating of dispersed metallic particles is provided. The method includes: providing a particle-laden flow comprising a carrier phase comprising a carrier fluid and a dispersed phase comprising the dispersed metallic particles; exposing the dispersed metallic particles to a magnetic field for heating the dispersed metallic particles via at least one of hysteresis and Joules heating mechanisms; inductively heating the dispersed metallic particles in the particle-laden flow via the magnetic field; and controlling a flow configuration of the particle-laden flow by adjusting a flow parameter, the flow parameter being any one or more of an induction heating timescale, a particle thermal timescale, a heat diffusion in the carrier phase, and a particle clustering of the dispersed metallic particles.