A Techno-Economic Analysis of a 50MWth Light-Trapping Cavity-Planar Solar Receiver Tower Capital Expenditures and its Cost Mitigation Strategies: Paper No. ES2024-131174

Mathew Farias, Zhiwen Ma, Janna Martinek, Ben Xu

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

To maximize thermal efficiency, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has proposed a light-trapping cavity-planar receiver design intended to capture energy from reradiating surfaces. This system implements a macroscale light trapping mechanism induced by panels with triangular channels, this mechanism allows for elevated temperatures on the receiver panels and in turn the temperature of the HTF; using this design coupled with the implementation of a fluidized particle flow as the HTF, it can be expected for some components to reach a peak working temperature of nearly 1000 degrees C cyclically throughout each day-night cycle. While these temperatures correlate to higher efficiency of the CSP tower they also demand intense thermomechanical properties from the materials used to make the receiver panels. In this analysis, we will list our assumptions to provide clarity on the significance of our calculation. This cost analysis will be conducted using a combination of both case study data and surveying industry to determine costs that are relevant to the current market trends. This analysis represents an early attempt to establish the Capital Expenditures required for a CSP tower of such design to determine the feasibility of implementing such a system in the industry.
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages7
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024
EventASME 2024 18th International Conference on Energy Sustainability - Anaheim, California
Duration: 15 Jul 202417 Jul 2024

Conference

ConferenceASME 2024 18th International Conference on Energy Sustainability
CityAnaheim, California
Period15/07/2417/07/24

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/CP-5700-91810

Keywords

  • concentrated solar power (CSP)
  • light-trapping
  • particle thermal storage
  • planar-cavity receiver
  • solar receiver design
  • techno-economic analysis (TEA)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A Techno-Economic Analysis of a 50MWth Light-Trapping Cavity-Planar Solar Receiver Tower Capital Expenditures and its Cost Mitigation Strategies: Paper No. ES2024-131174'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this