Air-Preheater (SCRAP)

About

Brief Description The innovation extends conventional air heat exchanging technologies and principles by making use of the concept of using a pinned or spiky surface to increase the black body radiation effect. By using tube-in-tube pressurised pipes, an effective air heater using concentrated solar radiation is proposed, which can be a “pre-heater” to either an open cycle or combined cycle gas turbine power plant. The innovation aims to achieve gas turbine temperatures using traditional air heat exchange principles which are applied in an advanced manner so as to minimise solar radiation losses. The innovation aims to reduce the complexity of existing concepts and it is intended that, through optimisation, the receiver would have low operating and maintenance issues. Target Market Future CSP plants Value proposition/ Benefits An improved design that may offer better manufacturing, more flexible choices for heat transfer fluids and a better lifecycle solution. Unique Characteristics The configuration of air heat exchanging techniques of this innovation improves on pressurised pipe receiver concepts which, until now, have been unable to reach the desired temperatures for use in gas turbines. Technical Description The innovation proposes a pressure vessel with radial pipe network (resembling a porcupine) that traps the heat from the sun at a very high temperature. Innovation Status A provisional patent application was filed (2013/02381) on 03/04/2013.