Proposal and sizing of a molten Salt-to-sCO2 heat exchanger in supercritical solar thermal power plants

M.J. Montes, J.I. Linares, R. Abbas, A. Cantizano, R. Barbero, J. Porras

26th International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems - SolarPACES 2020, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) Online. 28 September - 02 October 2020

Summary:

Solar Thermal Power Plants (STPPs), based on supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) cycles, seem to be a promising alternative to increase the global solar-to-electric efficiency. The most conventional scheme for this technology is a molten salt (MS) central receiver, working at high temperature (above 700°C), coupled to the sCO₂ cycle. For this scheme it is proposed a new design of the source heat exchanger that transfers the thermal energy from the molten salt to the CO₂: the Compact Honeycomb Heat Exchanger (CHHE), in which the molten salt goes through a larger circular duct that is surrounded by 6 smaller trapezoidal ducts, through which the sCO₂ circulates. This paper is focused in the thermal model of this new heat exchanger, and a thermo- economic optimization for a selected supercritical STPP.

Spanish layman's summary:

Se propone un nuevo diseño de intercambiador primario para plantas termosolares que transfiere calor de las sales fundidas al CO2: compacto tipo panel de abeja (CHHE).

English layman's summary:

It is proposed a new design of the source heat exchanger that transfers the thermal energy from the molten salt to the CO2: the Compact Honeycomb Heat Exchanger (CHHE). 

Keywords: Solar Thermal Power Plants; Supercritical CO2; Molten salt; Heat exchanger; Compact Honeycomb Heat Exchanger

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0085730

Published in AIP Conference Proceedings, pp: 110006-1/110006-9, ISSN: 0094-243X

Publication date: 2020-09-28.

Citation:
M.J. Montes, J.I. Linares, R. Abbas, A. Cantizano, R. Barbero, J. Porras, Proposal and sizing of a molten Salt-to-sCO2 heat exchanger in supercritical solar thermal power plants, 26th International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems - SolarPACES 2020, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) Online. 28 September - 02 October 2020. In: AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 2445, nº. 1, ISSN: 0094-243X