During the impinging heat transfer, a jet of working fluid, either gas or liquid, will besprayed onto the heat transfer surface. Due to the high turbulence of the fluid, the heat transfer coefficient between the wall and the fluid will be largely enhanced. Previously, an impinging type solar receiver with a cylindrical cavity absorber was designed for solar dish system. However, non-uniform temperature distribution in the circumferential direction was found on absorber surface from the numerical model, which will greatly limit receiver's working temperature and finally affect receiver's efficiency. One of the possible alternatives to solve the problem is through modifying the roughness of the target wall surface. This thesis work aims to evaluate the possibility and is focusing on the study of heat transfer characteristics. The simulation results will be used for future experimental impinging solar receiver optimization work. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to model the conjugate heat transfer phenomenon of atypical air impinging system. The simulation is divided into two parts. The first simulation was conducted with one rib arranged on the target surface where heat transfer coefficient is relatively low to demonstrate the effects of rib shape (triangular,rectangular, and semi-circular) and rib height (2.5mm, 1.5mm, and 0.5mm). The circular rib with 1.5mm height is proved to be most effective among all to acquirerelatively uniform temperature distribution. In the second part, the amount of ribs is taken into consideration in order to reach more uniform surface heat flux. The target wall thickness is also varied to assess its influence.

Les centrales solaires à concentration sont des technologies prometteuses pour la production d'énergie d'origine renouvelable. Celles mettant en œuvre des cycles thermodynamiques à hautes températures, tels que les cycles combinés, permettent d'augmenter l'efficacité de la conversion solaire. Cependant, leurs implantations nécessitent le développement de nouveaux récepteurs à haute température (T > 1100 K), tels que les récepteurs solaires à particules (SPRs). Ce travail porte sur l'optimisation numérique des principaux paramètres pilotant l'efficacité de ce type de récepteurs, l'enjeu principal étant de minimiser les pertes par rayonnement thermique. Dans un premier temps, un modèle simplifié des transferts radiatifs dans un SPR a été développé. Le modèle considère un milieu particulaire soumis à un flux solaire concentré et collimaté. Le milieu émet, absorbe et diffuse le rayonnement de manière anisotrope. L'équation de transfert radiatif est résolue par une méthode à deux-flux (géométrie 1D) avec l'approximation delta-Eddington, permettant une obtention rapide des résultats. Cette méthode a été choisie pour son adéquation aux cas d'émission et de diffusion anisotrope. L'hypothèse de diffusion indépendante est utilisée afin de déterminer les propriétés optiques du milieu. La théorie de Lorenz-Mie et l'approximation de Henyey-Greenstein ont été utilisées pour calculer, respectivement, les efficacités optiques et la fonction de phase des particules. Ce modèle est mis en œuvre avec un algorithme d'optimisation par essaims particulaires, dans le but de déterminer la taille des particules, leur fraction volumique, et leur indice de réfraction optimums. Dans un deuxième temps, six matériaux réels sont sélectionnés afin de tenter de retrouver le résultat optimum obtenu précédemment avec un matériel idéal. Ces matériaux (HfB2, ZrB2, HfC, ZrC, W et SiC) sont pertinents du fait de leur comportement sélectif ou de leur absorptivité élevée. Afin de déterminer leurs indices de réfraction, la relation de dispersion de Kramers-Kronig a été utilisée à partir de données de réflectance issues de la littérature. Trois configurations de récepteurs ont été étudiées : a) un milieu homogène comprenant un seul type de particules, b) un milieu inhomogène comprenant deux matériaux différents, c) un milieu homogène comprenant des particules enrobées. D'après les résultats de ces configurations, les particules de W enrobées de SiC permettent d'atteindre des performances proches du cas idéal optimisé. Enfin, un modèle numérique de transfert thermique par convection et rayonnement a été développé, pour étudier l'influence de l'écoulement sur les pertes radiatives du récepteur. Il est basé sur une géométrie simple constituée d'un écoulement d'un mélange de gaz et de particules circulant entre deux plaques planes, l'une étant une fenêtre par laquelle pénètre perpendiculairement le flux solaire. Le modèle radiatif développé précédemment permet de calculer la divergence du flux radiatif, tandis que l'équation de l'énergie est résolue par une approximation de low-Mach. Ainsi, les conditions de l'écoulement et des propriétés radiatives que minimisent les pertes du récepteur sont déterminés. De futurs travaux pourront être élargis à de nouveaux matériaux candidats pour les récepteurs solaires à particules. Leur index de réfraction pourra être mesuré et comparé aux valeurs théoriques obtenues par les codes développés dans le cadre de ce travail / Solar Particle Receivers (SPRs) are promising candidates to work at high temperatures (T > 1100 K) in Central Solar Power (CSP) plants. They will permit the use of high efficient thermodynamic cycles, such as a combined cycle (Brayton cycle + Rankine cycle). Nevertheless, the optimal conditions that reduce the receiver losses (and consequently maximize the receiver efficiency) still remain to be studied. In this work, the principal parameters that drive the receiver efficiency are numerically optimized. For this end, a simplified radiative model is developed, which allows one to run the high number of simulations needed in such optimization. This model consists in a 1D slab of particulate media submitted to a collimated and concentrated solar flux. The medium emits, absorbs and anisotropically scatters energy. A two-stream method with a delta-Eddington approximation is implemented to fast solve the radiative transfer equation. Among the several two-stream approximations, the one proposed by Joseph et al. (1976) is chosen due to its good treatment of the anisotropic scattering. The volume optical properties are computed under the independent scattering hypothesis, the single-particle optical properties with the Lorenz-Mie theory and the phase function with the Henyey-Greenstein phase function. Such a model is used with a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm to find the optimal particle size, volume fraction and complex refractive index to be used in the receiver. Once the ideal optimal conditions for a SPR are found, the replication of these results is attempted by using real materials. Six materials (HfB2, ZrB2, HfC, ZrC, W and SiC) are chosen because of their spectral selective behavior or their high absorptivity. At this stage, an important difficulty is the lack of information about the refractive indexes of materials. Therefore, the Kramers-Kronig dispersion relations are utilized to find the refractive indexes from reflectance data. Then, three SPR configurations are considered: (1) a homogeneous medium with only one kind of particles, (2) a medium with a mixture of two materials and, (3) a homogeneous medium with coated particles. The three configuration results are compared with those obtained using particles made of an ideal material. A remarkable result is obtained when W-particles coated with SiC are used. This configuration decreases the radiative losses approaching to the ideal minimal. Finally, the influence of the fluid flow on the radiative losses is studied through the implementation of a convection-radiation heat transfer model. A simple geometry is adopted for a gas-particles mixture flow between two parallel plates, where one of them is a window. The concentrated solar radiation then affects perpendicularly the fluid flow. The energy equation is solved using a low-Mach approximation and the divergence of the radiative flux with the radiative model developed before. A parametric study is conducted to investigate the influence of the optical properties on the radiative losses. In the future, more materials remain to be investigated to be used in solar particle receivers. To this end, the refractive indexes of a number of materials should be measured. The developed codes will be useful for this investigation

Son efficacité, son faible impact environnemental et sa fiabilité font de la réfrigération thermoacoustique solaire une alternative intéressante aux systèmes solaires de production de froid. L'adaptation des technologies solaire et thermoacoustique requiert une conception thermique précise de l'élément d'interface, le récepteur solaire, constitué d'une cavité et d'un échangeur irradié par le rayonnement solaire. L'objectif de cet élément est de collecter et de transmettre efficacement l'énergie solaire incidente au fluide de travail du système thermoacoustique. Comme les ondes acoustiques sont très sensibles aux perturbations thermiques, la conception du récepteur doit favoriser l'homogénéité thermique, spatiale et temporelle, à l'intérieur de l'échangeur. Pour cette raison, une étude complète incluant le développement d'outils numériques de simulation pour modéliser le processus thermique, du transfert solaire au transfert thermoacoustique est nécessaire afin d’optimiser les dimensions du prototype de la campagne expérimentale. Cette étude décrit les outils de simulation ainsi que les dispositifs expérimentaux comme les résultats obtenus sur les aspects spatiaux et temporels. / Its efficiency, its low environmental impact and its reliability makes thermoacoustic solar refrigeration an interesting alternative to the existing solar systems for the cooling production. The solar adaptation of a thermoacoustic system requires an appropriate thermal design of the interface element, the solar receiver, which consists in a hot heat exchanger placed in a cavity that surrounds the focused image of the sun. The objective of this element is to efficiently collect and transfer the concentrated solar incident energy to the working fluid of the thermoacoustic system. Since acoustic waves characteristics are very sensitive to thermal disturbances, one challenge in the design of the receiver is that the temperature field within the heat exchanger must be as homogeneous as possible in space and time. Hence, a complete study, including the development of simulations tools which model the whole heat transfer processes, from solar to thermoacoustics, is necessary to optimize the prototype’s dimensions for the experimental campaign. This study describes the simulation tools and the experimental apparatus developed and the results obtained over space and time.

An impinging type solar receiver has been designed for potential applications in a future Brayton Solar Dish System. The EuroDish system is employed as the collector, and an externally fired micro gas turbine (EFMGT) has been chosen as the power conversion unit. In order to reduce the risks caused by the quartz glass window, which is widely used in traditional air receiver designs, a cylinder cavity absorber without a quartz window has been adopted. Additionally, an impinging design has been chosen as the heat exchange system due to its high heat transfer coefficient compared to other single-phase heat exchange mechanisms. This thesis work introduces the design of an solar air receiver without a glass window, which features jet impingement to maximize the heat transfer rate. A detailed study of the thermal performance of the designed solar receiver has been conducted using numerical tools from the ANSYS FLUENT package. Concerning receiver performance, an overall thermal efficiency of 72.9% is attained and an output air temperature of 1100 K can be achieved, according to the numerical results. The total thermal power output is 38.05 kW, enough to satisfy the input requirements of the targeted micro gas turbine. A preliminary design layout is presented and potential optimization approaches for future enhancement of the receiver are proposed, regarding local thermal stress and pressure loss reduction. This thesis project also introduces a ray-thermal coupled numerical design method, which combines ray tracing techniques (using FRED®), with thermal performance analysis (using ANSYS Workbench).

The search for more sustainable energy to match the growing energy demand begins with finding more dispatchable resources such as solar energy. As one of the promising solar technologies, concentrated solar power (CSP) has a full capacity to store thermal energy for extended operation. Nevertheless, some key components in CSP systems usually face extreme environment, such as uneven solar flux, cyclic thermal expansion, structural degradation on the solar absorber tubes in a Concentrated Solar Power Tower (CSPT) Plant. In this study, we applied Multiphysics simulation to explore the benefits of introducing optimized fins for heat transfer enhancement and uniform temperature distribution, the goal is to improve the thermal efficiency of such advanced solar absorber tubes. The results of this study can supply design guidance for the manufacturing process of absorber tubes, and eventually can benefit the solar energy community for the next generation of molten salt based CSP system.

Parabolic solar trough receivers are used to collect heat via the mean of a heat transfer fluid. This component is one among a myriad of the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) devices. Parabolic troughs reach high temperatures around 400 ºC. improving the Parabolic Solar Trough's receiver with an IR selective coating will increase the heat transfer absorbed by the heat transfer fluid and reduce the radiative heat loss. Thus, optimizing the receiver will ameliorate the efficiency of the electrical production for a CSP. The parabolic solar receiver existing in industry currently are made of stainless steel with no specific coating for IR solar rays spectrum selection. Therefore, the heat transferred through the absorber is limited to certain light spectrum. Furthermore, numerous receivers proposed are made from materials that contaminates their optical properties when oxidized such as aluminum [1]. The heat transfer and optical analysis of the PTC are essential to optimize and understand its performance under high temperatures and reduce the heat loss. In this paper, our focus is on presenting a super-lattice IR selective coating to minimize the radiative heat loss. Making use of the power of metamaterials to confection optical properties that are inexistent in nature, the coating will serve to maximize the tube's reflectance above 70% in the IR. Not only does the selective coating enhance the optical properties of the receiver, but also it ensures performance stability for high temperatures.

L’objectif était de concevoir et réaliser des architectures alvéolaires performantes pour les récepteurs solaires volumétriques des futures centrales thermodynamiques. Trois stratégies différentes sont envisagées pour l’ébauche des préformes carbones ou céramiques : (i) la synthèse de matériaux biomorphiques issus de la découpe de balsa, (ii) l’élaboration de structures céramiques par projection de liant et (iii) la réplication de structures polymères réalisées par impression 3D, à l’aide d’une résine précurseur de carbone ou céramique. Dans tous les cas, les préformes crues sont converties par pyrolyse en C ou SiC et une étape d’infiltration/revêtement de SiC par CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) achève la fabrication des structures céramiques. Une étape intermédiaire de RCVD (Reactive CVD) a été mise en œuvre au cours de la première voie, afin de convertir la structure carbonée microporeuse en TiC. La composition, la microstructure et l’architecture poreuse des structures céramiques ont tout d’abord été caractérisées. Les caractéristiques des matériaux les plus pertinentes, compte tenu de l’application en tant qu’absorbeur solaire, ont ensuite été examinées. Les propriétés thermomécaniques et la résistance à l’oxydation ont ainsi été caractérisées en priorité. La perméabilité et les propriétés thermo-radiatives, qui sont également deux facteurs importants pour l’application, ont également été considérées. / The aim is to design and create efficient cellular architectures for volumetric solar receivers used in the future thermodynamic power plants. Three strategies are considered for the creation of ceramic or carbon preforms: (i) the synthesis of biomorphic materials resulting from the cutting of balsa, (ii) the elaboration of ceramic structures by binder jetting and (iii) the replication of polymer structures made by 3D printing, using a carbon or ceramic precursor resin. In all cases, the green preforms are converted by pyrolysis to C or SiC and an infiltration step / SiC coating by CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) completes the manufacture of ceramic structures. An intermediate stage of RCVD (Reactive CVD) was implemented during the first strategy, in order to convert the microporous carbonaceous structure into TiC. The composition, the microstructure and the porous architecture of the ceramic structures were first characterized. The characteristics of the most relevant materials, considering the application as a solar receiver, were then examined. The thermomechanical properties and the oxidation resistance have thus been characterized in priority. Permeability and thermo-radiative properties, which are also two important factors for application, were also considered.

High efficiency multi-junction (MJ) solar cells were packaged onto receiver systems. The efficiency change of concentrator cells under continuous high intensity illumination was done. Also, assessment of the receiver design on the overall performance of a Fresnel-type concentration system was investigated. We present on receiver designs including simulation results of their three-dimensional thermal operation and experimental results of tested packaged receivers to understand their efficiency in real world operation. Thermal measurements from solar simulators were obtained and used to calibrate the model in simulations. The best tested efficiency of 36.5% is obtained on a sample A receiver under 260 suns concentration by the XT-30 solar simulator and the corresponding cell operating temperature is ~30.5°C. The optimum copper thickness of a 5 cm by 5 cm simulated alumina receiver design was determined to be 6 mm and the corresponding cell temperature under 1000 suns concentration is ~36°C during operation.

High efficiency multi-junction (MJ) solar cells were packaged onto receiver systems. The efficiency change of concentrator cells under continuous high intensity illumination was done. Also, assessment of the receiver design on the overall performance of a Fresnel-type concentration system was investigated. We present on receiver designs including simulation results of their three-dimensional thermal operation and experimental results of tested packaged receivers to understand their efficiency in real world operation. Thermal measurements from solar simulators were obtained and used to calibrate the model in simulations. The best tested efficiency of 36.5% is obtained on a sample A receiver under 260 suns concentration by the XT-30 solar simulator and the corresponding cell operating temperature is ~30.5°C. The optimum copper thickness of a 5 cm by 5 cm simulated alumina receiver design was determined to be 6 mm and the corresponding cell temperature under 1000 suns concentration is ~36°C during operation.

High efficiency multi-junction (MJ) solar cells were packaged onto receiver systems. The efficiency change of concentrator cells under continuous high intensity illumination was done. Also, assessment of the receiver design on the overall performance of a Fresnel-type concentration system was investigated. We present on receiver designs including simulation results of their three-dimensional thermal operation and experimental results of tested packaged receivers to understand their efficiency in real world operation. Thermal measurements from solar simulators were obtained and used to calibrate the model in simulations. The best tested efficiency of 36.5% is obtained on a sample A receiver under 260 suns concentration by the XT-30 solar simulator and the corresponding cell operating temperature is ~30.5°C. The optimum copper thickness of a 5 cm by 5 cm simulated alumina receiver design was determined to be 6 mm and the corresponding cell temperature under 1000 suns concentration is ~36°C during operation.