Thermal performance of specific heat receiver concepts for advanced solar dynamic applications

The thermal performance of three concepts for thermal energy storage as applied to solar dynamic applications is described. It is recognized that designs providing large thermal gradients or large temperature swings during orbit are susceptible to early mechanical failure. Concepts incorporating heat pipe technology may encounter operational limitations over sufficiently large ranges. The thermal performance of basic designs is reviewed and their relative merits compared. The effect of thermal enhancement and metal utilization as applied to each design is examined, providing a partial characterization of the performance improvements to be achieved by developing these technologies