Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s extensive experience in both the rocket engine and energy industries, provides an effective underpinning for work in supercritical CO2 power cycle development. Our current thrusts are supercritical CO2 power conversion for a LMR, a solar power system using molten salt energy storage, and a zero emission coal power system. Key observations from our nuclear power application work is that large, highly-effective heat exchangers will need to be developed, system architecture is driven by start-up operations, etc. along with steady-state full-power operations, and the large volumetric flow rates associated with this cycle coupled with the desire to keep pressure losses low will lead to parallel runs of large diameter pipe. Our solar power work is focused on developing a system architecture that can take advantage of the full thermal storage temperature spectrum while maintaining the high-efficiency and low-cost potential of this cycle. And in the fossil-fuel arena, the efficiency improvements derived from supercritical CO2 are particularly interesting as a way to make up the losses that are caused by CO2 sequestration.

Executive SummaryThe objective of this project is to complete a design of an advanced concentrated solar panel and demonstrate the manufacturability of key components. Then confirm the operation of the key components under prototypic solar flux conditions. This work is an important step in reducing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) from a central receiver solar power plant. The key technical risk to building larger power towers is building the larger receiver systems. Therefore, this proposed technology project includes the design of an advanced molten salt prototypic sub-scale receiver panel that can be utilized into a large receiver system. Then complete the fabrication and testing of key components of the receive design that will be used to validate the design.This project shall have a significant impact on solar thermal power plant design. Receiver panels of suitable size for utility scale plants are a key element to a solar power tower plant. Many subtle and complex manufacturing processes are involved in producing a reliable, robust receiver panel. Given the substantial size difference between receiver panels manufactured in the past and those needed for large plant designs, the manufacture and demonstration on prototype receiver panel components with representative features of a full-sized panel will be important to improving the build process for commercial success. Given the thermal flux limitations of the test facility, the panel components cannot be rendered full size.Significance changes occurred in the projects technical strategies from project initiation to the accomplishments described herein. The initial strategy was to define cost improvements for the receiver, design and build a scale prototype receiver and test, on sun, with a molten salt heat transport system. DOE had committed to constructing a molten salt heat transport loop to support receiver testing at the top of the NSTTF tower. Because of funding constraints this did not happen. A subsequent plan to test scale prototype receiver, off sun but at temperature, at a molten salt loop at ground level adjacent to the tower also had to be abandoned. Thus, no test facility existed for a molten salt receiver test. As a result, PWR completed the prototype receiver design and then fabricated key components for testing instead of fabricating the complete prototype receiver.A number of innovative design ideas have been developed. Key features of the receiver panel have been identified. This evaluation includes input from Solar 2, personal experience of people working on these programs and meetings with Sandia.

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