Quantifying the impact of solar variability on dynamic start‐up of particle receivers under varying geometric parameters

Shafiqur Rehman; Luai M. Alhems; Muhammad M. Rafique

doi:10.1002/ep.70271

journal article Jan 07, 2026

Quantifying the impact of solar variability on dynamic start‐up of particle receivers under varying geometric parameters

Shafiqur Rehman

Luai M. Alhems Muhammad M. Rafique

Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy Vol. 45 No. 2 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/ep.70271

Abstract

Abstract

The start‐up process of particle‐based solar cavity receivers can require several hours due to their high operating temperature targets and significant thermal mass. This duration is not fixed but varies with location, time of day, and solar resource availability. Assuming a constant start‐up time based only on steady‐state operation overlooks the inherent variability of solar input, leading to significant uncertainty in system performance. This article investigates the influence of key geometric parameters on the dynamic start‐up response of a cylindrical cavity particle receiver, considering both steady‐state and transient operating conditions. A transient thermal model was developed to predict the time required to reach a target start‐up temperature of 1000°C and associated heating rates. Geometric variations included aperture diameter (6–9 m), cavity diameter (8–14 m), cavity length (14–20 m), lining thickness (50–200 mm), and surface absorptivity (0.6–0.9). Two solar input cases were analyzed: (i) constant Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) values between 600 and 1000 W/m
2
, and (ii) real‐time hourly DNI data. Results show that neglecting solar variability can cause both over‐ and under‐prediction of start‐up times by up to 80%, depending on geometry and irradiance. This highlights the critical need to incorporate transient solar resource data into start‐up modeling for reliable design and operation of particle receivers.

Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References

32

[1]

10.3390/su16010103

[2]

BradshawRW CarlingRW.A review of the chemical and physical properties of molten alkali nitrate salts and their effect on materials used for solar central receivers.1987. 10.1149/198707.0959pv

[3]

10.1021/j150545a005

[4]

10.1016/j.energy.2012.09.005

[5]

10.1016/j.rser.2019.109463

[6]

10.1016/j.egypro.2015.03.191

[7]

10.1115/1.2807210

[8]

10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.04.103

[9]

10.1016/j.compchemeng.2005.03.005

[10]

10.1016/0009-2509(53)80001-1

[11]

10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.06.045

[12]

10.1016/j.egypro.2014.03.211

[13]

HoCK.Performance Evaluation of a High‐Temperature Falling Particle Receiver. in ASME 2016 10th International Conference on Energy Sustainability collocated with the ASME 2016 Power Conference and the ASME 2016 14th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science Engineering and Technology.2016.

[14]

10.1063/1.4984370

[15]

10.1016/j.egypro.2014.03.060

[16]

10.1016/j.egypro.2014.03.067

[17]

10.1115/1.4030970

[18]

10.1115/1.4030069

[19]

10.1115/1.4023183

[20]

10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.03.100

[21]

OzalpN KanjirakatA.A CFD study on the effect of carbon particle seeding for the improvement of solar reactor performance. inASME2010 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability ES 2010.2010. 10.1115/es2010-90326

[22]

10.3390/en15051657

[23]

10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138240

[24]

10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.116567

[25]

10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2019.118821

[26]

10.1007/s11356-022-25063-5

[27]

10.1016/j.renene.2021.07.145

[28]

10.1016/j.renene.2019.03.106

[29]

10.1002/9781118671603

[30]

Stine WB (1989)

[31]

10.1016/j.renene.2016.11.044

[32]

Bureau of Meteorology. Accessed October 4 2019.http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/glossary/seasons.shtml

Metrics

0

Citations

32

References

Details

Published: Jan 07, 2026
Vol/Issue: 45(2)
License: View

Authors

S

Shafiqur Rehman

Interdisciplinary Research Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (IRC‐SES) King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) Dhahran Saudi Arabia; Mechanical Engineering Department King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals Dhahran Saudi Arabia

L

Luai M. Alhems

Applied Research Center for Environment and Marine Studies (ARC‐EMS) King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals Dhahran Saudi Arabia; Applied Research Center for Metrology, Standards, and Testing (ARC‐MST) King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals Dhahran Saudi Arabia

M

Muhammad M. Rafique

Interdisciplinary Research Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (IRC‐SES) King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) Dhahran Saudi Arabia

Cite This Article

Shafiqur Rehman, Luai M. Alhems, Muhammad M. Rafique (2026). Quantifying the impact of solar variability on dynamic start‐up of particle receivers under varying geometric parameters. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 45(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/ep.70271

Quantifying the impact of solar variability on dynamic start‐up of particle receivers under varying geometric parameters

You May Also Like