IP Library Granted Patent US 12687323
Granted Patent B2
US 12687323 · App. 18/555,101 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Particle solar receiver

Inventors: Gang Xiao (Hangzhou, CN); Xiangyu Xie (Hangzhou, CN); Di Gan (Hangzhou, CN); Mingjiang Ni (Hangzhou, CN)
Assignee: Zhejiang University
F24S21/00F24S10/502F24S20/20F24S50/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12687323
App. No.
18/555,101
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Receiving and storage of energy, and particularly a particle solar receiver for solar thermal power generation. The particle solar receiver includes: a feeding bin temporarily storing endothermic particles to be heated, and a multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel allowing the particles to flow along a predetermined path by gravity, where the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel includes a plurality of plate-type structures which forms a changing flow direction of the particles flowing between adjacent plate-type structures. The particle solar receiver can achieve the endothermic particle heating function with a simple structure, i.e., the function of converting the solar power into thermal energy at a high-temperature level.

Claims (43)

1 . A particle solar receiver, comprising:

a feeding bin to temporarily store endothermic particles to be heated; and

a multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel allowing the endothermic particles to flow along a predetermined path by gravity,

the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel comprising a plurality of plate-type structures which forms a changing flow direction of the endothermic particles between adjacent plate-type structures, wherein:

the plurality of plate-type structures comprises any one of the following:

the plurality of plate-type structures are all sandwich layers, the sandwich layers each have an upper plate and a lower plate, between which the endothermic particles are able to flow; or

the plurality of plate-type structures are formed by combining the inclined plates and the sandwich layers, the sandwich layer has the upper plate and the lower plate, and the endothermic particles are able to flow on the inclined plate or in the sandwich layer; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of plate-type structures is arranged to be directly exposed to and heated by concentrated solar power and is referred to as a direct irradiating plate, and the direct irradiating plate comprises at least the inclined plate or the lower plate of the sandwich layer.

2 . The particle solar receiver according to claim 1 , wherein the direct irradiating plate is modified according to any one of the following modification solutions or a free combination of the modification solutions:

modification of enhancing transmission, comprising at least using quartz glass as a direct irradiating plate material,

modification of enhancing reflection, comprising at least using a ceramic reflective plate as a direct irradiating plate material, and

modification of enhancing absorption, comprising at least coating a surface of the direct irradiating plate with a high temperature-resistant far infrared radiation coating.

3 . The particle solar receiver according to claim 1 , further comprising a baffle installed on at least one of the plurality of plate-type structures.

4 . The particle solar receiver according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an aperture forming an entrance of solar power into the particle solar receiver and arranged opposite to the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel, and

a transparent window detachably installed in the aperture, the transparent window comprises quartz glass.

5 . The particle solar receiver according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a temperature control device,

connecting funnels receiving the endothermic particles coming from the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel, and

a storage bin connected to the connecting funnel.

6 . The particle solar receiver according to claim 5 , wherein:

the temperature control device comprises flow control valves, temperature sensors and at least one processor,

the flow control valves are formed to be able to control an amount of the particles flowing through the connecting funnels,

the temperature sensors are arranged at temperature measurement points of the connecting funnels and/or the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel, and

the at least one processor is connected to receive temperature signals from the temperature sensors and output control signals to the flow control valves.

7 . The particle solar receiver according to claim 6 , wherein the connecting funnels are arranged, and the flow control valves are also correspondingly arranged to respectively control the flow of particles passing through the corresponding connecting funnels so as to adjust the temperature of the particles at each part of the particle solar receiver.

8 . A particle solar receiver, comprising:

a feeding bin to temporarily store endothermic particles to be heated; and

a multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel allowing the endothermic particles to flow along a predetermined path by gravity, the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel comprising a plurality of plate-type structures which forms a changing flow direction of the endothermic particles between adjacent plate-type structures;

wherein at least one of the plurality of plate-type structures is arranged to be directly exposed to and heated by the concentrated solar power and is referred to as a direct irradiating plate, and the direct irradiating plate comprises at least the inclined plate or the lower plate of the sandwich layer, and

wherein the direct irradiating plate is modified according to any one of the following modification solutions or a free combination of the modification solutions:

modification of enhancing transmission, comprising at least using quartz glass as a direct irradiating plate material,

modification of enhancing reflection, comprising at least using a ceramic reflective plate as a direct irradiating plate material, and

modification of enhancing absorption, comprising at least coating a surface of the direct irradiating plate with a high temperature-resistant far infrared radiation coating.

9 . A particle solar receiver, comprising:

a feeding bin to temporarily store endothermic particles to be heated;

a multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel allowing the endothermic particles to flow along a predetermined path by gravity, the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel comprising a plurality of plate-type structures which forms a changing flow direction of the endothermic particles between adjacent plate-type structures;

connecting funnels receiving the endothermic particles coming from the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel;

a storage bin connected to the connecting funnel;

a temperature control device, which comprises:

flow control valves formed to be able to control an amount of the particles flowing through the connecting funnels;

temperature sensors arranged at temperature measurement points of the connecting funnels and/or the multi-stage plate heat absorbing channel; and

at least one processor connected to receive temperature signals from the temperature sensors and output control signals to the flow control valves.