Heat transfer analyses of porous media receiver with multi-dish collector by coupling MCRT and FVM method

• Published in: Solar energy Vol. 93; pp. 158 - 168
• Main Authors: Wang, Fuqiang, Shuai, Yong, Tan, Heping, Zhang, Xiaofeng, Mao, Qianjun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2013; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Finite Volume Method; Heat transfer; Monte Carlo; Monte Carlo simulation; Multi-dish collector; Natural energy; Porous materials; Porous media; Radiation; Receiver; Solar energy; Solar radiation; Temperature distribution; Theoretical studies. Data and constants. Metering; Porous media; Receiver; Monte Carlo; Finite Volume Method; Multi-dish collector; Temperature distribution; Monte Carlo method; Heat flow; Finite volume method; Heat distribution; Irradiance; Thermal equilibrium; Porous material; Convection; Heat flux; Energy equation; Non equilibrium conditions; Collector; Ray tracing; Numerical simulation; Software; Solid phase; Solar radiation; Heat transfer
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2013.04.004

•MCRT and FVM coupling method is used to solve problems of porous media receiver.•The LTNE model with concentrated heat flux boundary is used for energy equations.•MCRT method is used to obtain the heat flux distribution of multi-dishes collector.•FLUENT with UDFs is used to solve the fluid and solid phase heat transfer problems. In this paper, Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) and Finite Volume Method (FVM) coupling method is adopted to solve the radiation, conduction and convection coupled heat transfer problems of porous media receiver with multi-dish collector. The MCRT method is used to obtain the concentrated heat flux distribution on the fluid inlet surface of porous media receiver. The local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) model with concentrated solar irradiation on the fluid inlet surface is used for energy equations. FVM software FLUENT with User Defined Functions (UDFs) is used to solve the fluid phase and solid phase heat transfer problems. The effects of solar irradiance, air inlet velocity, average particle diameter, receiver radius and air properties on the temperature distribution are investigated.