Abstract:
Particle-based concentrating solar power systems integrated with sCO2 power cycles offer high thermal efficiencies but require durable heat exchangers to transfer heat from high-temperature particles to the sCO2 working fluid. This study presents the design and optimization of a silicon carbide-silicon moving packed-bed heat exchanger for fabrication via binder jetting additive manufacturing. The heat exchanger was designed to withstand a 20 MPa sCO2 pressure and operate at particle inlet temperatures up to 750 °C. The final design features 152 sCO2 channels distributed across 19 plates, with elliptical corners and a minimum wall thickness of 3 mm. Flow restrictors at the sCO2 channel inlets significantly improved flow uniformity, reducing thermal stresses and achieving a structural reliability of 99 % under representative operating conditions. The heat exchanger delivers a thermal duty of 9 kW and a volumetric power density of approximately 1 MW/m3 in the channel region. Sensitivity studies confirmed the heat exchanger’s robustness under varying operating conditions, demonstrating its viability as a high-performance alternative to metallic heat exchangers for particle-based high-temperature concentrating solar power applications.
Bipul Barua, Christopher P Bowen, Wenhua Yu, Wenchao Du, David M France, Kevin Albrecht, Mark C. Messner, Dileep Singh, Design of a SiC-Si moving packed-bed particle-to-sCO2 heat exchanger for high temperature concentrating solar power applications, Solar Energy, Volume 303, 2026, 114114, ISSN 0038-092X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2025.114114
