METHOD TO CONSTRUCT AND SUPPORT TUBE MODULE ASSEMBLIES FOR SOLID PARTICLE SOLAR RECEIVER
A solar receiver module includes a front tube sheet with light apertures, a back plate cooperating with the front tube sheet to define a sealed gap, and light channeling tubes optically coupled with the light apertures, extending through the gap and connecting with the back plate. A flowing heat transfer medium flows in the gap over exterior surfaces of the light channeling tubes. Slip joint engagements between light apertures and ends of most or all of the light channeling tubes accommodate thermal expansion. Each slip joint may be defined by an inner or outer perimeter of the light aperture receiving the end of the light channeling tube. A sub-set of the light channeling tubes may be welded to light apertures. A module support post may be secured at a center of the back plate and extend away oppositely from the front tube sheet. A welded or stamped tube sheet provides a seal between tubes at the front face of the tube modules. Thermal expansion provides a seal between adjoining modules at the front face and seal strips provide a seal at the back face.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/981,974 filed Apr. 21, 2014 and titled “Method to Construct and Support Tube Module Assemblies for Solid Particle Solar Receiver”. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/981,974 filed Apr. 21, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
GOVERNMENT RIGHTSThe United States Government may have certain rights to this invention pursuant to contract number DE-AC36-08GO28308 between the United States Department of Energy and Alliance For Sustainable Energy, LLC. This invention was developed under subcontract ZGJ-3-23315-01 between Alliance For Sustainable Energy, LLC. and Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc. under contract number DE-AC36-08GO28308.
BACKGROUNDThe following pertains to the solar power generation arts and related arts. In a known solar concentration design, a field of heliostats concentrates solar power onto a (typically tower-mounted) solar receiver. A flowing heat transfer medium flows through the solar receiver. This flowing heat transfer medium absorbs energy from the concentrated light and is thus heated. The hot flowing heat transfer medium may be variously used, for example being fed into a fluidized-bed boiler to generate steam for driving an electrical generator turbine.
Some such solar concentrators are described, by way of non-limiting illustrative example, in Ma, U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0257056 A1 published Oct. 3, 2013 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and in Ma et al., U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0255667 A1 published Oct. 3, 2013 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and in Maryamchik et al., “Concentrated Solar Power Solids-Based System”, U.S. Ser. No. 14/250,160 filed Apr. 10, 2014 and published as U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0311479 A1 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BRIEF SUMMARYIn some aspects disclosed herein, a solar receiver module comprises a front tube sheet including light apertures, a back plate cooperating with the front tube sheet to define a sealed gap, and light channeling tubes having first ends optically coupled with the light apertures and extending through the gap and having second ends connected with the back plate. A flowing or fluidized heat transfer medium, for example a flowing particulate medium such as silica sand or calcined flint clay, but not limited thereto, is suitably disposed in the gap over exterior surfaces of the light channeling tubes. In some embodiments the solar receiver module further comprises slip joint engagements between light apertures of the front tube sheet and first ends of most or all of the light channeling tubes. Each slip joint may be defined by an inner perimeter of the light aperture receiving the first end of the light channeling tube. In some such embodiments, each slip joint is defined by the inner perimeter of a necked down portion of the light aperture receiving the first end of the light channeling tube. In some embodiments slip joint engagements are provided between light apertures of the front tube sheet and first ends of all but a sub-set of the light channeling tubes, and welds are provided between light apertures and the first ends of the sub-set of the light channeling tubes. In some such embodiments, the sub-set of the light channeling tubes are immediately neighboring light channeling tubes engaging light apertures that are centrally located on the front tube sheet. In some embodiments the second ends of the light channeling tubes are connected with the back plate by threaded studs extending from the second ends of the light channeling tubes. In some embodiments a module support post extends away from the back plate on the opposite side of the back plate from the front tube sheet, and is secured at a center of the back plate.
In some aspects disclosed herein, a solar receiver comprises a plurality of solar receiver modules as set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph arranged with adjoining front tube sheets and adjoining back plates to define the solar receiver with an outward facing surface defined by the adjoining front tube sheets and an inward facing surface defined by the adjoining back plates and further having an annular gap between the outward facing surface and the inward facing surface. In some solar receiver embodiments the solar receiver does not include sealing material interposed between the adjoining front tube sheets. In some solar receiver embodiments, the front tube sheets have jagged edges defined by peripheral light apertures and the jagged edges of adjoining front tube sheets mesh together.
In further aspects disclosed herein, a solar power generation system includes a solar receiver as set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph, a flowing or fluidized heat transfer medium disposed in the annular gap over exterior surfaces of the light channeling tubes of the solar receiver modules, and a fluidized-bed heat exchanger arranged to receive heated heat transfer medium from the solar receiver. In still further aspects disclosed herein, a method of operating a solar receiver as set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph is disclosed. The method comprises disposing a flowing or fluidized heat transfer medium in the annular gap of the solar receiver over exterior surfaces of the light channeling tubes of the solar receiver modules, and operating heliostats to concentrate solar energy onto the solar receiver wherein the concentrated solar energy is effective to induce thermal expansion of the solar receiver modules. In such a method, slip joint engagements between light apertures of the front tube sheet and first ends of most or all of the light channeling tubes suitably accommodates thermal expansion of the solar receiver modules. Additionally, the central rear support of the tube modules allows the modules to thermally expand into one another creating sealing at the front face between adjoining tube modules.
These and other non-limiting aspects and/or objects of the disclosure are more particularly described below.
The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various process operations and arrangements of process operations. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. This disclosure includes the following drawings.
A more complete understanding of the processes and apparatuses disclosed herein can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings. These figures are merely schematic representations based on convenience and the ease of demonstrating the existing art and/or the present development, and are, therefore, not intended to indicate relative size and dimensions of the assemblies or components thereof.
Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of the embodiments selected for illustration in the drawings, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings and the following description below, it is to be understood that like numeric designations refer to components of like function.
The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
A value modified by a term or terms, such as “about” and “substantially,” may not be limited to the precise value specified.
It should be noted that many of the terms used herein are relative terms. For example, the terms “interior”, “exterior”, “inward”, and “outward” are relative to a center, and should not be construed as requiring a particular orientation or location of the structure.
The terms “horizontal” and “vertical” are used to indicate direction relative to an absolute reference, i.e. ground level. However, these terms should not be construed to require structures to be absolutely parallel or absolutely perpendicular to each other. For example, a first vertical structure and a second vertical structure are not necessarily parallel to each other.
The term “plane” is used herein to refer generally to a common level, and should be construed as referring to a volume, not as a flat surface.
To the extent that explanations of certain terminology or principles of the solar receiver, boiler and/or steam generator arts may be necessary to understand the present disclosure, the reader is referred to Steam/its generation and use, 40th Edition, Stultz and Kitto, Eds., Copyright 1992, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and to Steamlits generation and use, 41st Edition, Kitto and Stultz, Eds., Copyright 2005, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, the texts of which are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
With reference to
With continuing reference to
With reference back to the insets of
With continuing reference to
With particular reference back to
The flowing heat transfer medium 56 is typically a flowing particulate medium such as silica sand or calcined flint clay (e.g. with average particle size on the order of a few hundred microns), but is not limited thereto (for example, it is contemplated to employ air as the flowing heat transfer medium). In typical embodiments in which the flowing heat transfer medium 56 is a flowing particulate medium, it is to be understood that this flowing particulate medium serves as the hot “fluid” which is dispersed onto the fluidized bed of the fluidized-bed boiler or heat exchanger 58. Said another way, the term “fluid” as used herein in reference to the flowing heat transfer medium 56 encompasses flowing particulate media.
With reference to
With reference to
Another consideration is that the solar receiver 16 undergoes substantial thermal cycling during startup, shutdown, cloud transients and emergency trips. In some contemplated embodiments intended to operate a fluidized bed boiler or heat exchanger, the flowing heat transfer medium 66 is to be heated to a temperature of order 800° C. (1470° F.). Accordingly, the solar receiver 16 should be robust against thermal cycling over a range of 0° C.-800° C. in some embodiments, and over even larger temperature ranges in other contemplated embodiments.
With reference to
In the illustrative example of
In the solar receiver module 20 fabricated in accord with the process described with reference to
In an alternative embodiment, it is contemplated to employ separate designated tie rods (not shown) welded between the back plate 28 and the front tube sheet 22 to provide the tube-axial direction support, rather than obtaining this axial support by welding designated light channeling tubes 26 as in the operation of
With particular reference to
With reference to
The illustrative solar receiver module assembly approach described with reference to
With reference to
In addition, this approach enables the use of smaller tube modules, which results in smaller solar heat flux gradients across the face of the module, more uniform operating metal temperatures, lower thermal stresses and reduced potential for thermal distortion compared to larger modules with larger face areas.
With reference to
While using the foregoing approaches is expected to provide suitable sealing between adjoining modules 20 at their front sides, it is additionally or alternatively contemplated to employ a high temperature sealant material. However, interposing sealing material between the modules reduces the active area and thus efficiency of the solar receiver 16 for collecting and channeling light.
With reference to
An advantage of the disclosed solar receiver modules 20 is that individual modules are readily removed for repair or replacement. At non-operating temperature the modules 20 have thermally contracted to their smallest configuration, and an individual module can be removed by disconnecting its module support post 30 from the column 88 (see
In similar fashion, it is contemplated to modularize the insulation and/or lagging 32 (
Illustrative embodiments including the preferred embodiments have been described. While specific embodiments have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application and principles of the invention and methods, it will be understood that it is not intended that the present invention be limited thereto and that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. In some embodiments of the invention, certain features of the invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, all such changes and embodiments properly fall within the scope of the following claims. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the present disclosure be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. A solar receiver module comprising:
- a front tube sheet including light apertures;
- a back plate cooperating with the front tube sheet to define a sealed gap; and
- light channeling tubes having first ends optically coupled with the light apertures and extending through the gap and having second ends connected with the back plate.
2. The solar receiver module of claim 1 further comprising a flowing or fluidized heat transfer medium disposed in the gap over exterior surfaces of the light channeling tubes.
3. The solar receiver module of claim 2 wherein the flowing or fluidized heat transfer medium comprises a flowing particulate medium such as silica sand or calcined flint clay.
4. The solar receiver module of claim 1 further comprising slip joint engagements between light apertures of the front tube sheet and first ends of most or all of the light channeling tubes.
5. The solar receiver module of claim 4 wherein each slip joint is defined by an inner or outer perimeter of the light aperture receiving the first end of the light channeling tube.
6. The solar receiver module of claim 4 wherein each slip joint is defined by the inner or outer perimeter of a necked down portion of the light aperture receiving the first end of the light channeling tube.
7. The solar receiver module of claim 4 comprising slip joint engagements between light apertures of the front tube sheet and first ends of all but a sub-set of the light channeling tubes, the solar receiver further comprising:
- welds between light apertures and the first ends of the sub-set of the light channeling tubes.
8. The solar receiver module of claim 7 wherein the sub-set of the light channeling tubes consists of one or more light channeling tubes.
9. The solar receiver module of claim 4 wherein there are slip joint engagements between light apertures of the front tube sheet and first ends of all of the light channeling tubes and the solar receiver module further comprises:
- tie rods welded between the back plate and the front tube sheet.
10. The solar receiver module of claim 4 wherein the light channeling tubes are cantilever-supported by the second ends connected with the back plate.
11. The solar receiver module of claim 4 wherein the second ends of the light channeling tubes are connected with the back plate by threaded studs extending from the second ends of the light channeling tubes.
12. The solar receiver module of claim 1 wherein the front tube sheet comprises said light apertures formed from bent sheet metal and having outer perimeters that are welded together.
13. The solar receiver module of claim 1 wherein the front tube sheet comprises single-piece sheet metal having said light apertures punched into the single-piece sheet metal.
14. The solar receiver module of claim 1 wherein the light apertures have triangular, circular, square or diamond, regular or flared hexagonal cross-sections.
15. The solar receiver module of claim 1 wherein the back plate comprises a metal plate.
16. The solar receiver module of claim 1 wherein the light channeling tubes comprise drawn tubes, extruded tubes, or bent sheet metal welded tubes.
17. The solar receiver module of claim 1 further comprising:
- a module support post extending away from the back plate on the opposite side of the back plate from the front tube sheet;
- wherein the module support post is secured at a center of the back plate.
18. A solar receiver comprising a plurality of solar receiver modules as set forth in claim 1 arranged with adjoining front tube sheets and adjoining back plates to define the solar receiver with an outward facing surface defined by the adjoining front tube sheets and an inward facing surface defined by the adjoining back plates and further having an annular gap between the outward facing surface and the inward facing surface.
19. The solar receiver of claim 18 wherein the solar receiver does not include sealing material interposed between the adjoining front tube sheets.
20. The solar receiver of claim 18 wherein the front tube sheets have jagged edges defined by peripheral light apertures with flat sides, and the jagged edges with flat sides of adjoining front tube sheets mesh together.
21. The solar receiver of claim 18 further comprising:
- sealing strips disposed at interfaces between adjoining back plates.
22. The solar receiver of claim 21 wherein each sealing strip is attached to only one of any two adjoining solar receiver modules.
23. A solar power generation system comprising:
- a solar receiver as set forth in claim 18;
- a flowing or fluidized heat transfer medium disposed in the annular gap over exterior surfaces of the light channeling tubes of the solar receiver modules; and
- a fluidized-bed boiler or heat exchanger arranged to receive heated heat transfer medium from the solar receiver.
24. A method of operating a solar receiver as set forth in claim 18, the method comprising:
- disposing a flowing or fluidized heat transfer medium in the annular gap of the solar receiver over exterior surfaces of the light channeling tubes of the solar receiver modules; and
- operating heliostats to concentrate solar energy onto the solar receiver wherein the concentrated solar energy is effective to induce thermal expansion of the solar receiver modules.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the solar receiver modules have slip joint engagements between light apertures of the front tube sheet and first ends of most or all of the light channeling tubes that accommodates thermal expansion of the solar receiver modules.
26. The method of claim 24 wherein each solar receiver module further comprises a module support post secured at a center of the back plate and extending inward from the inward facing surface defined by the adjoining back plates whereby thermal expansion of the solar receiver modules increases sealing force between adjoining front tube sheets.
27. A method of performing maintenance on the solar receiver of claim 18, the method comprising:
- disconnecting a solar receiver module support post from the back plate or a support column; and
- pulling the disconnected solar receiver module out of the solar receiver.
28. A method of performing maintenance on the solar receiver module of claim 1, the method comprising:
- removing a connection between the light channeling tubes and the back plate of the solar receiver module;
- removing the front tube sheet of the solar receiver module by operations including disengaging slip joint engagements between light apertures of the front tube sheet and first ends of light channeling tubes wherein after removal of the front tube sheet the light channeling tubes remain cantilever-supported by the connections of their second ends with the back plate; and
- removing a selected light channeling tube by disconnecting the second end of the selected light channeling tube from the back plate.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein removing the front tube sheet of the solar receiver module further comprises:
- breaking welds between axial support light channeling tubes and the front tube sheet.
30. The method of claim 28 wherein removing the front tube sheet of the solar receiver module comprises:
- disconnecting tie rods connecting the back plate and the front tube sheet.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 20, 2015
Publication Date: Oct 22, 2015
Inventor: David T. Wasyluk (Mogadore, OH)
Application Number: 14/691,002