Experimental Investigation of a New Turbocharged Concentrating Solar Air Heater
Abstract
Although still uncommon, direct air heating inside a linear concentrating collector can be a suitable solution for industrial hot air production aiming at environmental sustainability and decarbonization. In order to demonstrate the technical feasibility and investigating the key features of the technology, an experimental prototype is installed and tested. A small-scale solar field with 79.2 m2 of linear Fresnel collectors is coupled with an automotive turbocharger to reduce the pumping power in an innovative layout. A compressor increases air pressure before it is heated up to 450 - 500 °C inside evacuated receivers. The turbine recovers the compressing power. Hot air at 300 - 400 °C is provided at the turbine exit, available for usage. Results enable the characterization of the main components and system behavior, establishing critical design and operational aspects.