Integration of a solar linear particle receiver with a gas turbine

A Linear Particle Receiver is a solar receiver placed at the ground that employs particles and air in fluidized conditions to capture the concentrated solar energy. The solar irradiation is concentrated linearly using a primary field of Fresnel heliostats that focus the energy on a secondary linear beam-down reflector. The design of the receiver allows the recirculation of the fluidizing air through several units, which may be used in a Gas Turbine power cycle. Here, we explore the possibility of substituting the firing chamber of a Brayton cycle by the Linear Particle Receiver. The solar field is analyzed using SolTRACE while an energy balance is solved to calculate the air temperature. A compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) is coupled to the receiver, reaching a mean energy flux of 27.6 kW/m2, which means that 38 units are needed to reach 957 °C in an air mass flow of 0.657 kg/s. The linear beam-down system shows an optical efficiency of 34.65%, while the receiver shows a thermal efficiency of 78.02%. For a SGT-500 Gas Turbine, 150 lines with 38 units per line are needed to produce a net power of 11 MW.