Numerical Investigation of Scheffler Concentrator Receiver for Steam Generation Using Phase Change Material

This study is about the numerical modelling of concentrated solar power (CSP) system using a Scheffler dish solar concentrator which can be used for steam generation and its applications. Water is used for direct steam generation from the receiver. In the proposed model, phase change material (PCM) is present in between the inner and the outer cylinder of the copper receiver. A binary mixture commonly known as solar salt (60% NaNO₃-40% KNO₃) is used as PCM for analysis. It helps to get rid of fluctuations due to sudden weather changes. Scheffler solar concentrator of 16 m² area with fixed focus is used to concentrate the solar radiations to the receiver. The purpose of this study is to see the effects of temperature distribution with and without the PCM and also the rate of steam generation for the system numerically using Finite Element Method. Numerical analysis was performed using Transient thermal analysis module in ANSYS Workbench. Results showed that the proposed design of the cylindrical receiver containing the solar salt enhances the performance of the system.