3.2.

1 Heat Transfer from Absorber to Heat Transfer Fluid

Referring to the control volume in Figure 3.3, a uniform temperature and heat flux
distribution around the receiver is assumed. After applying the energy balance on this
control volume, assuming unsteady state and incompressible fluid with [52], h CpT, the
following partial differential equation (PDE) is obtained.

(3.1)

Figure 3.3. Control volume of heat transfer fluid

(3.2)
Where

is the internal cross sectional area of the absorber,

is
velocity of fluid,

and

is the heat transfer by convection from the absorber to HTF per unit length. The
convective heat transfer is given by:

] (3.3)
Where

is the Nusselt number,

is the thermal conductivity of HTF, and Ta is the

absorber wall temperature. Consider circular pipe for this absorber.
3.2.1.1 Circular Pipe
For fully developed turbulent flow (ReD > 2300) convective heat transfer in circular ducts
is given by Gnielinski correlation [54]:

3.4
And

Where

is the friction coefficient (Fanning friction factor), ReD is the Reynolds number
based on the absorber inner pipe diameter, Pr is the Prandtl number, and

is the
kinematic viscosity of HTF. This correlation is valid for 2300

and 0.5
2000. The thermal properties should be evaluated at the bulk mean heat transfer fluid
temperature, except

which is evaluated at the absorber wall temperature. The friction

coefficient is calculated from the Filonenko correlation [53] for isothermal flows in smooth
tubes:

For

3.5
For the transition flow 2100 ReD 4000 the formula developed by Bhatti and Shah can
be used to calculate the friction coefficient [55]:

3.6

For laminar flow, (ReD 2300), the Nusselt number on walls with uniform temperature is
given by

3.66
For a circular tube subjected to constant surface temperature, the average Nusselt number
for the thermal entrance region can be determined from Hausens correlation [55]:

]
3.7
Where
[

. Z is the length of absorber tube, D is diameter of absorber. The thermal
properties should be evaluated at the bulk mean fluid temperature. The fully developed
conditions are reached for [57]:
The friction coefficient for fully developed laminar flow in a circular duct is given by:

3.8
3.2.2 Heat Transfer from the Absorber to Glass Envelope
Convection and radiation heat transfer occur between the absorber and the glass envelope.
The convection heat transfer mechanism depends on the annulus pressure [KJCOC 1993].
At low pressures (< ~1 torr), the heat transfer mechanism is molecular conduction. At
higher pressures (> ~1 torr), the mechanism is free convection. The radiation heat transfer
occurs because of the difference in temperatures between the outer absorber surface and
the inner glass envelope surface. The radiation heat transfer calculation is simplified by
assuming the glass envelope is opaque to infrared radiation and assuming gray (= )
surfaces.
3.2.2.1 Convection Heat Transfer
Two heat transfer mechanisms are evaluated to determine the convection heat transfer
between the absorber and glass envelope free-molecular and natural convection [KJCOC
1993].
3.2.2.1.1 Vacuum in Annulus
When the HCE annulus is under vacuum (pressure < ~1torr), the convection heat transfer
between the absorber and glass envelope occurs by free-molecular convection [Ratzel et
al.1979].