AEETES - A SOLAR REFLUX RECEIVER THERMAL PERFORMANCE NUMERICAL-MODEL

Reflux solar receivers for dish-Stirling electric power generation sys tems are currently being investigated by several companies and laborat ories. In support of these efforts, the AEETES thermal performance num erical model has been developed to predict thermal performance of pool -boiler and heat-pipe reflux receivers. The formulation of the AEETES numerical model, which is applicable to axisymmetric geometries with a symmetric incident fluxes, is presented in detail. Thermal efficiency predictions agree to within 4.1% with test data from on-sun tests of a pool-boiler reflux receiver Predicted absorber and sidewall temperatu res agree with thermocouple data to within 3.3 and 7.3%, respectively. The importance of accounting for the asymmetric incident fluxes is de monstrated in comparisons with predictions using azimuthally averaged variables. The predicted receiver heat losses are characteriZed in ter ms of convective, solar radiative, and infrared radiative, and conduct ive heat transfer mechanisms.