EP1776550A1

EP1776550A1 - Solar absorber

Info

Publication number: EP1776550A1
Application number: EP05779044A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Klaus-Jürgen RIFFELMANN; Thomas Kuckelkorn; Christina Hildebrandt
Original assignee: Schott AG
Current assignee: Schott AG
Priority date: 2004-08-05
Filing date: 2005-08-05
Publication date: 2007-04-25
Also published as: IL181111A0; IL181111A; US20070209658A1; CN101023305B; US7607428B2; CN101023305A; DE102004038233A1; MX2007001448A; WO2006015815A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a solar absorber comprising an absorber body (10) provided with an absorption layer (17) on the side thereof on which the radiation concentrated by a concentrator is incident, and an absorption layer (18) on the opposite side. The absorption layer on the side facing the concentrator has a higher boundary wavelength than the opposing absorption layer. In this way, in the region of higher irradiance, the limit of the radiation emission of the absorber body is shifted to longer wavelengths such that both sides of the absorber body are operated with the respectively highest possible directivity.

Description

solar absorber

The invention relates to a solar absorber with an absorber body, which has a side facing a concentrator and a side facing away from the concentrator and which is provided with a selective absorption layer which absorbs the spectrum of solar radiation below a cut-off wavelength and suppressed the emission of the absorber body above the cut-off wavelength. The invention also relates to solar absorbers according to the preambles of claims 13, 17 and 22.

The solar absorber is the part of a solar collector, where the solar radiation is converted into heat. At the absorber occur in addition to optical and thermal losses, since it assumes a higher temperature than the environment by converting the solar radiation into heat. In concentrating collectors, such as parabolic trough collectors, Fresnel collectors, and solar towers, the absorbers are typically heated to a few hundred ^C ° C. The radiation losses, which according to Planck's radiation formula are proportional to the fourth power of the temperature, dominate the convective losses in the case of vacuum-isolated absorbers.

The technical problem lies in the contradictory desire that the absorber on the one hand to absorb the solar radiation well, on the other hand, but the emission of bad radiation. According to the Kirchhoff law, the spectral absorption and emissivity of a body are equal. This problem can be solved by an optical selective coating having a cut-off wavelength below which the absorptivity is large and above which the emitted natural radiation is low. Such an absorption layer makes use of the fact that the wavelength range for the radiation to be absorbed and the emitted emitted radiation of the absorber to be suppressed are different.

In WO 97/26488 absorber body are described which have an optically selective coating. These coatings are characterized by the fact that on the one hand they absorb the short-wave radiation emitted by the sun (maximum at 0.5 μm) well, but on the other hand the long-wave radiation emitted by the absorber (maximum at 3.5 to 5 μm) to the environment is poor emit. The selective absorption layers have a low spectral reflectance and a high absorptivity in the short-wave solar spectral range, while in the long-wave spectral range the spectral reflectivity is as high as possible, which means low emissivity.

The ideal cut-off wavelength at which the transition from low to high reflectivity occurs is primarily dependent on the operating temperature of the absorption layer. Therefore, various selective layers are being developed for flat plate collectors, evacuated tube collectors and parabolic trough collectors.

When designing the optimum cut-off wavelength of the ideal optically selective absorption layer, only the temperature of the absorber has hitherto been considered. Depending on the temperature, the cut-off wavelength is adapted to a standard solar spectrum. The ideal cutoff wavelength is also dependent on the concentration of solar radiation. For concentrating solar collectors, the concentration factor is often not homogeneously distributed over the absorber surface. So is only about half of a parabolic trough collector of the absorber tube hit by concentrating solar radiation, while the other half is illuminated by non-concentrated solar radiation. On the side facing the concentrator, the radiation is typically concentrated by factors of 10 to 100 times. In the case of a selective absorption layer which is homogeneous over the circumference of the absorber body, the thermal losses due to radiation are therefore not minimized.

The object of the invention is to minimize the radiation losses altogether in the case of a concentrating solar absorber, namely both on the side facing the concentrator and on the side facing away from the concentrator in order to increase the gain of trapped heat.

This object is achieved with solar absorbers according to claims 1, 13 and 17. The solutions provide an absorption layer on the absorber body, a coating on the cladding tube and at least one element between absorber tube and cladding tube, which will be described in detail below. It is also possible to combine the solutions together, as is the subject of claim 22.

According to the first variant, it is provided that the absorption layer of the absorber body on the side facing the concentrator has a cutoff wavelength which is greater than the cutoff wavelength on the side facing away from the concentrator.

The invention is based on the recognition that the two opposite sides of the absorber body are exposed to different radiation densities and thus have different absorption behavior and emission behavior. On the side facing the concentrator, the cut-off wavelength z. B. 2.350 nm. Due to the different cut-off wavelengths on both sides, it is achieved that the cut-off wavelength is tuned to the respective spectral density, so that the gain of the incident radiation is optimized as a function of the spectral density. Thus, a very high yield (gain) of radiation can be achieved.

A concentrator is to be understood as any concentrating optic. In particular, Fresnel lenses, mirrors, lens systems or collection optics are concentrators.

In the simplest case, the coating is divided into two areas with different absorption layers. The subdivision can be refined by providing more than two regions of stepwise varying cut-off wavelength. Each of the areas is adapted to the local radiation intensity.

The invention is particularly applicable to parabolic trough collectors having an elongate absorber tube which is supported by a heat transfer medium, e.g. As oil is flowed through, with an elongated parabolic mirror concentrates the solar radiation on the absorber tube. Also in other types of solar absorbers receiving concentrated solar radiation, the invention is applicable. It is suitable for all cases in which the radiation intensity at different surface areas of the absorber body is different.

The absorber body is preferably a tube, in particular a steel tube or a porous ceramic body.

The thickness of the absorption layer is preferably less than 10 μm, in particular less than 200 nm. The absorber layer is preferably subdivided into two regions with different cut-off wavelengths. Here, the one area extends over the entire side facing away from the concentrator and the second area extends over the entire side of the absorber body facing the concentrator.

When the absorber body is in the pipe, a region is understood to mean a surface that extends on the one hand over the pipe length and on the other hand over a circular arc. Several areas are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the tube.

The absorber layer may be subdivided into regions of continuously varying cut-off wavelength. In this case, the transition from one area to an adjacent area can be configured continuously. Even within the ranges, the cut-off wavelength can change continuously.

The setting of different cut-off wavelengths in the individual regions can be achieved by a different thickness of the absorber layer or of individual partial layers of the overall layer system. Here, layer thickness changes by 5% to 20%, preferably by 10% to 20% are preferred. The layer thickness decrease can be carried out running around the entire pipe circumference, which manufacturing technology, for example. can be achieved by varying the rotational speed of the tube during the coating process.

Preferably, the absorber layer is applied on the side facing away from the concentrator by 5 to 20% thinner than on the side facing the concentrator. This shifts the cut-off wavelength, in which the absorber layer of absorption and Reflection passes to shorter wavelengths. The emissivity for high temperatures is thereby reduced. At the same time, the solar absorption decreases as a larger part of the solar spectrum is reflected.

The absorber layer may be composed of a three-layer system consisting of a metallic mirror layer, a cermet layer and a dielectric anti-reflection layer. The thickness variation for changing Grenzwellenläπge is preferably carried out in the cermet layer. By reducing the cermet layer thickness, the absorption coefficient also decreases in the region of the visible spectrum. By increasing the thickness of the anti-reflection layer, this can be partially compensated without affecting the cut-off wavelength. Therefore, it makes sense to increase the thickness of the antireflection coating when reducing the cermet thickness.

In order to simplify the manufacturing process, a variation of the layer thickness can also be carried out by performing a non-uniform rotation of the tube in individual or in all coating processes.

According to a further embodiment for setting varying limiting wavelengths, the absorber layer may have different compositions in the individual regions.

The different composition is preferably achieved by metallic filler that is present in different proportions in the individual areas. This metallic filler may preferably be present in the cermet layer. As a metallic filler, chromium, aluminum, copper and / or molybdenum are preferred. The proportions of the filling material in the cermet layer are in the individual ranges between 20% and 60%.

The concentrator has a high reflection in the entire wavelength range between the visible and the infrared range. The thickness and / or composition of the cermet layer and / or the antireflection coating can influence the proportion of the absorbed radiation in the visible or in the near infrared range.

According to a further variant of the invention, the solar absorber has an absorber tube and a cladding tube which surrounds the absorber tube, wherein in combination with a concentrator the solar absorber has a side facing the concentrator and a side facing away from the concentrator. It is provided according to the invention that at least one region of the cladding tube is provided on the side facing away from the concentrator with a coating reflecting the thermal radiation. This coating can be partially transparent in the wavelength range of solar radiation (low-e coating) or reflective (metallic mirror).

This coating can extend over a maximum of half the circumference of the cladding tube. Here, the coating is preferably mounted on the inside of the cladding tube.

Preferably, the coating is provided in two lateral edge regions, between which no coating is arranged. This makes it possible to use the proportion of direct solar radiation incident in the section between the edge regions. The proportion that comes directly from the sun and the absorber directly, that means without deflection by the concentrator, makes in conventional parabolic trough collectors about 1% of the total detectable radiation.

The lateral edge areas are those areas in which neither direct radiation from the sun nor reflected radiation from the concentrator impinges. It therefore makes sense to provide a corresponding coating in these edge regions in order to reduce heat losses in this region.

A complete coverage by means of a transparent or metallic coating of the entire region of the cladding tube, which faces away from the concentrator, may be useful if the operating temperature of the solar absorber is high. At lower operating temperatures, the coating in the peripheral areas is preferred.

Partial transparency is understood as meaning a transmission of preferably 30% to 70%, the transmission relating to the wavelength range of the solar radiation in the range from 300 nm to 2500 nm. In the infrared range (wavelength range> 2500 nm), the preferably metallic coating is highly reflective, which is understood to mean a reflectance of> 70%.

The coating is preferably made of a high reflectance material. The material used for this coating is preferably aluminum or silver.

According to a further variant of the invention is between the cladding tube and the absorber tube on the side facing away from the concentrator arranged at least one element of a material reflecting in the IR region.

This element may be a metallic foil, a fabric or a sheet.

The arrangement of one or more such elements can be selected according to the coating of the cladding tube. In this respect, the element over the half pipe circumference of

Absorber tube extend. But it can also be provided two elements which are arranged in lateral edge regions, according to the configuration of the coating of the cladding tube in the edge regions.

The element or elements may have raised edges, thereby providing an additional concentration effect. The erected edges preferably have an angle <45 ° with respect to the axis of the concentrator.

The element or elements are preferably made of aluminum or stainless steel. To increase the reflection in the infrared wavelength range, the element may additionally be coated with silver.

Since the element is arranged in the intermediate space between absorber tube and cladding tube, it should be considered that the connection to one of the two tubes leads to stresses due to the different coefficients of linear expansion of the different materials. It is therefore preferable to use a stretchable material or to arrange the element or elements movable, in particular displaceable. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a solar absorber with

Absorber body and concentrator,

2 shows a circular diagram of the radiation density impinging on the absorber body,

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the spectral radiance and the

Absorptance as a function of the wavelength with non-concentrated incident radiation,

4 is a diagram of the spectral radiance and the

Absorptance at concentrated incident radiation,

5 shows a cross section of a first embodiment of the absorber body,

Fig. 6 is a partial cross-section through that shown in Fig. 5

Absorber tube,

FIGS. 7-11 Solar absorber with absorber tube and cladding in section according to various embodiments.

Fig. 1 shows the absorber body 10, which is an elongated absorber tube 30, the interior 11 is flowed through by a heat transfer medium. The incident solar radiation 12 is concentrated or focused by a concentrator 13 in the form of a parabolic mirror on the absorber body 10. The absorber body 10 absorbs the solar radiation and converts these into heat, which is transferred to the heat transfer medium. The heat transfer medium is thereby heated.

Fig. 2 shows the distribution of the radiation density 14 over the circumference of the absorber body in polar coordinates. On the concentrator 13 facing side 36, the radiation density is high. On the side facing away from the concentrator 38, the radiation density is equal to the radiation density of the incident solar radiation, which could be denoted by the value "1".

In Fig. 3 the spectral distribution of the radiation density of the incident solar radiation is indicated by the curve denoted by 20. 21 is a curve indicating the spectral radiance of a black body at a temperature of 500 ⁰ C. The two curves 20 and 21 each have a maximum and fall from there to both sides. Both curves are separated, but overlap in one foot area.

Denoted at 22 is the ideal cut-off wavelength that passes through the intersection of the solar spectrum 20 and the blackbody spectrum 21. Below this wavelength, the ideal optically selective absorber completely absorbs the solar radiation while emitting only minor radiation losses. These radiation losses consist of the area which is below the cut-off wavelength of 1350 nm below the curve 21. Above the cut-off wavelength 22, the degree of absorption - and thus the emissivity search - equal to zero. This means that the absorption body 10 does not radiate heat, while it loses only slightly solar irradiation by reflection. This radiation loss is proportional to the area under the curve 20 for wavelengths λ> greater than 1350 nm. FIG. 4 shows the solar spectrum 20a concentrated by the factor 50 and the curve 21a the spectrum of a black body at 500 ° C. The scale of the graph of FIG. 4 has been changed with respect to FIG. The curve 22a shows the profile of the absorption coefficient of an ideal optically selective coating. It passes through the intersection of the two curves 20a and 21a, which is at the increased radiance at a wavelength λ = 2400 nm.

Thus, it can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4 that at higher radiation densities the curve 22 shifts towards longer wavelengths.

The invention takes advantage of this fact by the absorber body 10, which is designed as an absorber tube 30, according to FIG. 5 different absorber layers 17, 18 has. The absorber layer 17 in the region 40 is located on the side facing the concentrator 13 and the absorber layer 18 in the region 45 on the side 38 facing away from the concentrator.

The absorber layers 17 and 18 are thin layers in the nanometer range. They consist of materials as described, for example, in WO 97/26488. In particular, they are Ti-NO-based interference absorber layers which cause different color effects as a function of the layer thickness. The absorption layers 17, 18 can basically consist of the same base material, the individual regions differing by different layer thicknesses. By interference effect for the areas different cut-off wavelengths 22. The thickness of the absorption layer should be smaller than 10 microns and in particular smaller than 1000 nm, most preferably smaller than 100 nm. The absorber layer is homogeneous applied.

Table 1 below shows an embodiment of a solar absorber according to the present invention. Where λ is the wavelength, GWL is the cut-off wavelength and e is the emissivity of the absorption layer.

Table 1 :

It can be seen that the solar absorber as a whole has a high absorption capacity over all ranges of different radiation density and provides a high gain of incident radiation.

The absorber layers 17 and 18 in FIG. 5 can also both have the same layer structure. The layers are preferably produced by a thin-film technique in which several layers are applied successively to a substrate. One after the other, in particular, a mirror layer 25, a cermet layer 26 and a dielectric antireflection coating 27 can be deposited on a steel tube 31 (see Fig. 6). The mirror layer 25 reflects electromagnetic radiation in the infrared and visible wavelength range. The thickness and / or composition of Cermet and anti-reflection layer 26, 27 influences the proportion of absorbed radiation. In the cermet layer 26, a filler is contained, which usually constitutes 20% to 60% of the cermet layer 26. As filler, in particular chromium, aluminum, copper or molybdenum in question.

The optical properties of the absorber layer are varied by varying the layer thickness and / or composition in regions 17 and 18. In the side facing away from the concentrator, for example, the absorber layer 18 is made thinner by 5 to 20% than on the absorber layer 17 facing the concentrator. The thickness is preferably not changed. Thus, the change of the absorber layer is achieved solely by varying the cermet and anti-reflection coatings. The absorber layer 18 facing away from the concentrator 13 comprises at most half the pipe circumference. The decrease in the layer thickness can be achieved, for example, by varying the rotational speed of the tube during the coating process.

7, a further embodiment is shown, which has an absorber tube 30 and a cladding tube 32, wherein on the inside of the cladding tube 32, a coating 60 is applied. The preferably metallic coating 60 is located in the region 55 of the cladding tube, which faces away from the concentrator, not shown. In the region 50 of the cladding tube 32, which faces the concentrator, no coating is provided on the cladding tube 32.

In Fig. 8 a modified embodiment is shown, which differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 in that the coating 60 is applied only in an edge region 56, 57, on which neither the direct sunlight, by the Arrows is marked, still hits the reflected radiation from the concentrator.

In the intermediate region 58, an opaque or partially transparent coating is provided, so that in this region 58 the solar radiation is transmitted and can impinge on the absorber tube 30.

The partial transparency of the metallic coating in the region 58 is present in the wavelength range of solar radiation 3000 nm to 2500 nm. The proportion of the transmitted radiation of the total incident radiation is in the spectrum of sunlight preferably about 30% to 70%. In the far infrared range (> 2500 nm), the coating is highly reflective, i. the percentage of reflected radiation is more than 70%.

In FIG. 9, no coating is provided in this area 58 at all.

If the reflector-remote side 38 is opaque or opaque to solar radiation, an area of the cladding tube 20 can be made uncoated. The uncoated area forms as it were a window for the incident on the opposite side 38 of the cladding tube 32 solar radiation. This ensures that this solar radiation can be used to generate heat.

10, a further embodiment is shown, in which between the absorber tube 30 and the cladding tube 32, an element 70 is arranged, which consists of a reflecting material in the infrared region. This element 70 extends over half of the circumference and is located in the region which faces away from the concentrator. The element 70 consists of a metallic foil, which is preferably made of aluminum or stainless steel. To increase the reflectivity in the IR wavelength range can also be used as a film coated with silver materials. The metallic foil is thermally coupled to the absorber tube or to the cladding tube. This prevents the metallic foil from heating up locally and consequently changing its shape or position in the annular gap as a result of thermal expansion. In operation, the absorber tube 30 is heated so that it expands. The metal foil itself is expansible and movable, so that differences in length between the absorber tube 30 and the metal foil are compensated.

FIG. 11 shows a further embodiment which, in the space between the absorber tube 30 and the cladding tube 32, has two elements 71, 72 which are arranged in the edge regions 76 and 77, which are not affected by the radiation reflected by the concentrator direct solar radiation are taken.

In order to increase the radiation yield, edges 78 are provided at the edges, which form an angle of 45 ° with the concentrator axis (not shown).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

Aborberkörper

inner space

solar radiation

concentrator

irradiance

absorber layer

Curve, solar spectrum Curve, blackbody spectrum a curve

Cut-off wavelength a curve

mirror layer

Cermet layer

antireflection coating

absorber tube

steel tube

Cladding tube the concentrator facing side facing away from the concentrator side

Area of the absorber tube

Area of the cladding tube

border area

intermediate area metallic coating

element

border area border area

edge

Claims

claims

A solar absorber having an absorber body (10) which has a side (36) facing a concentrator (13) and a side (38) facing away from the concentrator (13) and which is provided with a selective absorption layer which is below a cut-off wavelength (22 ) absorbs the spectrum of solar radiation and above the cut-off wavelength (22) suppresses the radiation of the absorber body (10), characterized in that the absorption layer (17, 18) on the side (36) facing the concentrator (13) has a cut-off wavelength (22) has, which is greater than the cut-off wavelength (22) on the side facing away from the concentrator (13) (38).

2. Solar absorber according to claim 1, characterized in that the absorption layer (17, 18) in more than two areas (40, 45) is divided with stepwise varying cutoff wavelength (22).

3. Solar absorber according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the absorber body (10) is an absorber tube (30), in particular a steel tube (31).

4. Solar absorber according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the absorber body (10) is a porous ceramic body.

5. Solar absorber according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the thickness of the absorption layer (17,18) is less than 10 microns, in particular less than 200 nm.

6. Solar absorber according to claim 1, characterized in that the absorber layer (17, 18) is divided into two regions (40, 45) with different cut-off wavelength (22).

7. Solar absorber according to claim 1, 3 or 6, characterized in that the absorber layer (17, 18) is divided into areas with continuously varying cut-off wavelength (22).

8. Solar absorber according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the absorber layer (17, 18) in the regions (40, 45) have different thicknesses.

9. Solar absorber according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the absorber layer (17, 18) in the regions (40, 45) have different compositions.

10. Solar absorber according to claim 9, characterized in that the absorber layer (17, 18) has at least one cermet layer (26) which has at least one metallic filling material whose proportion in the regions (40, 45) is different.

11. Solar absorber according to claim 10, characterized in that the metallic filling material comprises chromium, aluminum, copper and / or molybdenum.

12. Solar absorber according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the proportion of the filling material in the cermet layer (26) in the ranges between 20% and 60%.

13. Solar absorber with an absorber tube (30) and with a cladding tube (32) having a concentrator 13 facing side (36) and a concentrator (13) facing away from side (38), characterized in that at least one area (55 ) of the cladding tube (32) on the side facing away from the concentrator (13) (38) with a heat radiation reflecting coating (60) is provided.

14. Solar absorber according to claim 13, characterized in that the coating (60) extends over a maximum of half of the circumference of the cladding tube (30).

15. Solar absorber according to claim 14, characterized in that the coating (60) in two lateral edge regions (56, 57) is provided, between which no coating is arranged.

16. Solar absorber according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the coating (60) consists of a material with a high reflectance in the infrared range.

17. Solar absorber with an absorber tube (30) and with a cladding tube (32) having a concentrator (13) facing side (36) and a concentrator (13) facing away from side (38), characterized in that between the absorber tube (30) and the cladding tube (32) on the side facing away from the concentrator (13) (36) at least one element (70, 71, 72) is arranged from a reflecting material in the infrared region.

18. Solar absorber according to claim 17, characterized the element (70) is a metallic foil, a fabric or a sheet metal.

19. Solar absorber according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the element (70, 71, 72) extends over a maximum of half of the circumference of the cladding tube (32).

20. Solar absorber according to one of claims 17 or 18, characterized in that two elements (71, 77) in two lateral edge regions (76, 72) are provided.

21. Solar absorber according to one of claims 17 to 20, characterized in that the two elements (71, 72) erected edges (78).

22. Solar absorber with an absorber tube (30) and with a cladding tube (32) having a the concentrator (13) facing side (36) and a side facing away from the concentrator (38), characterized in that the absorber tube (30) a Absorption layer (17, 18) which has on the side facing the concentrator (13) (36) has a cutoff wavelength (22) which is greater than the cutoff wavelength (22) on the side facing away from the concentrator (38) and / or at least one region (50, 55) of the cladding tube (32) on the side (38) facing away from the concentrator (13) is provided with a metallic coating (60) and / or that between the absorber tube (30) and the cladding tube (32) on the side facing away from the concentrator (13) (36) at least one element (70, 71, 72) is arranged from a reflecting material in the infrared region.