Improving the thermal performance of fluidized beds for concentrated solar power and thermal energy storage

• We discuss the application of fluidized beds as solar receivers with TES.
• Unconventional fluidization may improve the thermal performance of fluidized beds.
• Effective thermal diffusivity of gas-fluidized beds is improved by uneven fluidization.
• Pulsed fluidization enhances thermal diffusivity of nearly incipiently fluidized beds.
• Pulsed fluidization enables continuous modulation of bed thermal diffusivity.

Fluidization technology displays a long record of success stories, mostly related to applications to thermal and thermochemical processes, which is fostering extension to novel and relatively unexplored fields. Application of fluidized beds to collection and thermal storage of solar radiation in Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is one of the most promising, a field which poses challenging issues and great opportunities to fluidization scientists and technologists. The potential of this growing field calls for reconsideration of some of the typical design and operation guidelines and criteria, with the goal of exploiting the inherently good thermal performances of gas-fluidized beds at their best. “Creative” and non-conventional design and operation of fluidized beds, like those based on uneven or unsteady (pulsed) fluidization, may be beneficial to the enhancement of thermal diffusivity and surface-to-bed heat transfer, improving the potential for application in the very demanding context of CSP with thermal energy storage.

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