Sodium receivers for solar power towers: a review

Abstract

This paper analyses the potential of sodium receivers to increase the overall solar-to-electricity efficiency of solar power towers. It re-visits some of the key outcomes and conclusions from past sodium receiver experiments, in particular those at Sandia National Laboratories and Plataforma Solar de Almeria in the 1980s, and discusses some new development activities in the area. It also discusses research in sodium receivers with a liquid-vapour phase change (heat pipes and pool boilers), to explore whether technologies developed for dish-Stirling systems have applicability for solar tower systems. Exergy analysis is used to compare the performance of sodium and molten salt receivers, and examine the impact of increasing solar flux on a sodium receiver.