Development and Performance Assessment of a Moving Bed Heat Exchanger for Solar Central Receiver Power Plants

A concept for a moving bed heat exchanger (MBHX) for solar central receiver power plants with a particle-based storage is presented and substantiated with experimental results. The design of the tube bundle considers the rheological bulk properties and was supported by CFD simulations. The adapted MBHX and a conventional reference design were subject of a comparative performance assessment. Both the granular flow distribution as well as the thermal efficiency were examined for both designs. Due to the shorter contact time of the particles at the tube wall in the adapted tube bundle, the newly developed MBHX exhibits a better thermal performance with heat transfer coefficients up to 240 W/m2K for moderate superficial bulk velocities of 5 mm/s. Hence, this concept is considered a promising technology component option for future particle-based CSP plants.