Thermal Performance and Pressure Drop Optimization in Particle-Based Solar Receivers for Next-Generation CSP Plants

Solar particle receivers offer significant potential for enhancing next-generation

concentrated solar power (CSP) plant efficiency through ultra-high operating

temperatures (>700℃). This study addresses the critical challenge of balancing thermal

performance against hydraulic losses by developing an integrated optimization

methodology combining high-fidelity multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD),

response surface methodology (RSM), and multi-objective evolutionary algorithms

(NSGA-II). Parametric analysis evaluated receiver geometry (inclination angle: 30°-75°,

hydraulic diameter: 0.05-0.20 m), particle flow dynamics (mass flow rate: 0.5-2.0 kg/s),

and incident radiation (≤800 kW/m²). Results quantified a fundamental trade-off: thermal

efficiency (ηth) declined by 24% as mass flow rate increased from 0.5 to 2.0 kg/s, while

pressure drop (ΔP) rose by 320%. Pareto-optimal solutions revealed high-efficiency

designs achieving ηth > 82.3% at ΔP > 5.8 kPa and low-resistance configurations

maintaining ΔP < 2.1 kPa with ηth = 71.6%. Crucially, the balanced solution (ηth =

78.1%, ΔP = 3.4 kPa) reduced pumping power requirements by 32% compared to

maximum-efficiency designs. Optimal operational windows were identified at inclination

angles of 55°-65°and hydraulic diameters of 0.12-0.17 m, with a quantified trade-off of

2.9% ηth reduction per 1 kPa ΔP decrease near the Pareto knee. This work establishes

actionable design protocols for achieving >78% thermal efficiency with minimized

hydraulic penalties, advancing economically viable high-temperature CSP systems.

ATHEER RAHEEM ABDULLAH

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