Transient Simulation of a Solar Cavity Receiver for Application in a Low-Latitude Field
Abstract
CSP has been proposed as a promising renewable alternative to diversify the Brazilian electricity matrix. No CSP plants are operational in Brazil, but R&D projects are under development. In this work, the behavior of a Direct Steam Generation (DSG) receiver based on the SG4 technology to be installed in a 70 kWe central tower receiver plant, currently under construction in Caiçara do Rio do Vento, RN, Brazil (5.76° S, 36.00° W), is simulated via a transient lumped-element numerical model using real meteorological data collected at the installation site. The results, obtained for a desired steam outlet temperature of 225 °C, at a pressure of 19 bar, show convective heat losses to be negligible for both the “outer” and the “inner” cavity, compared to reflective and re-radiation losses.