Concentrated Solar Power Utilization in Space Vehicles Propulsion and Power Generation
The objective from this paper is to design a solar
thermal engine for space vehicles orbital control and electricity
generation. A computational model is developed for the prediction of
the solar thermal engine performance for different design parameters and conditions in order to enhance the engine efficiency. The engine is divided into two main subsystems. First, the concentrator dish
which receives solar energy from the sun and reflects them to the
cavity receiver. The second one is the cavity receiver which receives
the heat flux reflected from the concentrator and transfers heat to the
fluid passing over. Other subsystems depend on the application required from the engine. For thrust application, a nozzle is
introduced to the system for the fluid to expand and produce thrust.
Hydrogen is preferred as a working fluid in the thruster application.
Results model developed is used to determine the thrust for a
concentrator dish 4 meters in diameter (provides 10 kW of energy),
focusing solar energy to a 10 cm aperture diameter cavity receiver.
The cavity receiver outer length is 50 cm and the internal cavity is 47
cm in length. The suggested design material of the internal cavity is
tungsten to withstand high temperature. The thermal model and
analysis shows that the hydrogen temperature at the plenum reaches
2000oK after about 250 seconds for hot start operation for a flow rate
of 0.1 g/sec.Using solar thermal engine as an electricity generation
device on earth is also discussed. In this case a compressor and
turbine are used to convert the heat gained by the working fluid (air)
into mechanical power. This mechanical power can be converted into
electrical power by using a generator.
[1] H. W. Coleman and R. A.Alexander, "Thermal Characterization of a
Direct Gain Solar Thermal Engine", NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center, AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, October 1999.
[2] M. Shimizu, et al., "Single Crystal Mo Solar Thermal Thruster for
Microsatellites", 49thInternational Astronautical Federation Published by
Elsevier Science , Vol. 44, Nos. 7-12, pp. 345-352, 1999.
[3] T.Nakamura, et al., "Solar Thermal Propulsion for Small Spacecraft",
41st AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Tucson AZ,
July 10-13, 2005.
[4] R. B. Diver and W. B. Stine, "A Compendium of Dish/Stirling
Technology", Sandia National Laboratories Technical Report, SAND93-
7026 UC-236, Livermore, California, USA, January, 1994.
[5] M. De Carli, et al., "A Computational Capacity Resistance Model
(CaRM) for vertical ground-coupled heat exchangers", International
Journal of Renewable Energy, 35 (2010) 1537-1550, 2010.
[6] G. Colonna, et al., "A Model for Ammonia Solar Thermal Thruster",
38th AIAA Thermophysics Conference, Toronto, Ontario Canada, June
6-9, 2005.
[7] K. Bammert, A. Hegazy and P. Seifert, "Determination of Radiation
Distribution in Solar Heated Receivers with Parabolic Dish
Collectors",5th International Conference for Mechanical Power
Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, October, 1984.
[8] C. C. Newton and A. Krothapalli, "A Concentrated Solar Thermal
Energy System", Florida State University, 2007.
[9] P. R. Fraser, A. K. Sanford, "Stirling Dish System Performance
Prediction Model", University of Wisconsin Madison, 2008.
[10] Y. A. Abdel-Hadi, A. Ding, H. J. Eichler and E.Sedlmayr,
"Development of optical concentrator systems for directly solar pumped
laser systems", Technical University of Berlin, Institute of Optics,
Berlin, 2008.
[11] S. Kalogirou, "Solar Energy Engineering Processes and Systems", 1st
Edition. California, USA, 2009.
[12] J. P. Holman, "Heat Transfer", 8th Edition.
[13] V. Wylen, et al, "Fundamentals of Thermodynamics", 5th Edition.
[14] J. D. Anderson, "Modern Compressible Flow", 2nd Edition.
[1] H. W. Coleman and R. A.Alexander, "Thermal Characterization of a
Direct Gain Solar Thermal Engine", NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center, AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, October 1999.
[2] M. Shimizu, et al., "Single Crystal Mo Solar Thermal Thruster for
Microsatellites", 49thInternational Astronautical Federation Published by
Elsevier Science , Vol. 44, Nos. 7-12, pp. 345-352, 1999.
[3] T.Nakamura, et al., "Solar Thermal Propulsion for Small Spacecraft",
41st AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Tucson AZ,
July 10-13, 2005.
[4] R. B. Diver and W. B. Stine, "A Compendium of Dish/Stirling
Technology", Sandia National Laboratories Technical Report, SAND93-
7026 UC-236, Livermore, California, USA, January, 1994.
[5] M. De Carli, et al., "A Computational Capacity Resistance Model
(CaRM) for vertical ground-coupled heat exchangers", International
Journal of Renewable Energy, 35 (2010) 1537-1550, 2010.
[6] G. Colonna, et al., "A Model for Ammonia Solar Thermal Thruster",
38th AIAA Thermophysics Conference, Toronto, Ontario Canada, June
6-9, 2005.
[7] K. Bammert, A. Hegazy and P. Seifert, "Determination of Radiation
Distribution in Solar Heated Receivers with Parabolic Dish
Collectors",5th International Conference for Mechanical Power
Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, October, 1984.
[8] C. C. Newton and A. Krothapalli, "A Concentrated Solar Thermal
Energy System", Florida State University, 2007.
[9] P. R. Fraser, A. K. Sanford, "Stirling Dish System Performance
Prediction Model", University of Wisconsin Madison, 2008.
[10] Y. A. Abdel-Hadi, A. Ding, H. J. Eichler and E.Sedlmayr,
"Development of optical concentrator systems for directly solar pumped
laser systems", Technical University of Berlin, Institute of Optics,
Berlin, 2008.
[11] S. Kalogirou, "Solar Energy Engineering Processes and Systems", 1st
Edition. California, USA, 2009.
[12] J. P. Holman, "Heat Transfer", 8th Edition.
[13] V. Wylen, et al, "Fundamentals of Thermodynamics", 5th Edition.
[14] J. D. Anderson, "Modern Compressible Flow", 2nd Edition.
@article{"International Journal of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Sciences:59203", author = "Maged A. Mossallam", title = "Concentrated Solar Power Utilization in Space Vehicles Propulsion and Power Generation", abstract = "The objective from this paper is to design a solar
thermal engine for space vehicles orbital control and electricity
generation. A computational model is developed for the prediction of
the solar thermal engine performance for different design parameters and conditions in order to enhance the engine efficiency. The engine is divided into two main subsystems. First, the concentrator dish
which receives solar energy from the sun and reflects them to the
cavity receiver. The second one is the cavity receiver which receives
the heat flux reflected from the concentrator and transfers heat to the
fluid passing over. Other subsystems depend on the application required from the engine. For thrust application, a nozzle is
introduced to the system for the fluid to expand and produce thrust.
Hydrogen is preferred as a working fluid in the thruster application.
Results model developed is used to determine the thrust for a
concentrator dish 4 meters in diameter (provides 10 kW of energy),
focusing solar energy to a 10 cm aperture diameter cavity receiver.
The cavity receiver outer length is 50 cm and the internal cavity is 47
cm in length. The suggested design material of the internal cavity is
tungsten to withstand high temperature. The thermal model and
analysis shows that the hydrogen temperature at the plenum reaches
2000oK after about 250 seconds for hot start operation for a flow rate
of 0.1 g/sec.Using solar thermal engine as an electricity generation
device on earth is also discussed. In this case a compressor and
turbine are used to convert the heat gained by the working fluid (air)
into mechanical power. This mechanical power can be converted into
electrical power by using a generator.", keywords = "Concentrated Solar Energy, Orbital Control, Power Generation, Solar Thermal Engine, Space Vehicles Propulsion", volume = "7", number = "6", pages = "1180-14", }