State of the art single-objective optimization of small scale cylindrical cavity receiver

Studies on improving the performance of clean and renewable energy, such as those focusing on concentrated solar energy, have intensified in recent years. This research paper studies the effect of the cylindrical cavity thermal receiver shape on the performance of a small scale solar Brayton cycle application. Moreover, it determines the optimum shape of the studied receiver configuration. Following on from the previous studies conducted by the research group, which outlined the importance of decreasing the overall heat losses, the current study specifically deals with the optimization of a small scale cylindrical shape. With the aim of minimizing the convective mode of heat loss, the receiver shape was developed using CFD analysis and surface optimization techniques were applied and analysed using the ANSYS Workbench software package. Results showed that the most influential parameter on the value of the heat transfer coefficient is the internal height and the two edges located on the bottom width of the receiver. The outcomes of this study showed a significant improvement in the thermal performance of the investigated shape, through decreasing the heat transfer coefficient by up to 23%.