Study on enhanced heat transfer characteristics of metal foam solar receiver in Solar Power Tower plants

In order to explore the mechanism of heat and mass transfer of metal foam absorber based on electrodeposition, the numerical simulation study of metal foam absorbers with different structures was carried out, and the heat transfer model of the coated metal foam tube bundle with a tube spacing of 3D x 1.5D was analyzed and established. Compared with the smooth tube bundle, with the Re number varying from 100 to 1500, the R-ext of the tube bundle coated with stainless steel foam decreased from 0.061 K/W to 0.009 K/W, and the thermal resistance ratio outside the tube increased from 2.75 to 4.76. The pressure loss of the tube rose from 1.89 Pa to 80.10 Pa, and the pressure loss outside the tube dropped from 5.15 to 3.12. The overall performance index PEC of the tube increased from 1.59 to 3.26. Compared with rows of staggered tube bundles from 2.5D to 2.2D, the heat transfer coefficient can reach 4621 W/m(2)/K and the pressure loss is 1.67%. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

Numerical simulation study reveals that metal foam absorbers can effectively reduce pressure loss and improve overall performance index PEC.