Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-28-2026

Abstract

Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems offer a promising method of renewable energy generation by using heliostats to focus sunlight onto a falling particle receiver. At the National Solar Thermal Testing Facility (NSTTF), particles absorb and store solar energy for later power generation. A major source of efficiency loss is wind-driven particle escape through the receiver aperture. This thesis develops computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to characterize wind flow around the G3P3 falling particle receiver and support future wind mitigation strategies. Numerical studies were conducted to establish an appropriate simulation methodology. Iteration studies showed that 2,000 iterations were sufficient for convergence, while a mesh convergence study determined the necessary resolution. The k-ε and k-ω turbulence models produced comparable results; however, k-ε was selected because it required less computation time. Several local meshing methods were evaluated, and three-dimensional local volume meshing was selected because it better resolved airflow around the receiver. The simulation methodology was validated using wind speed measurements collected at the NSTTF. Comparisons of CFD-predicted and measured wind velocity trends under various conditions demonstrated good agreement. As external wind speeds increased, velocities on Floors 7 and 9 also increased, while the Floor 8 trend remained relatively unchanged. These results demonstrate that the CFD model can reproduce key flow features of the G3P3 system.

Keywords

Solar tower, concentrated solar power, simulation work, particle flow, national solar thermal test facility, wind

Degree Name

Mechanical Engineering

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Mechanical Engineering

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dr. Peter Vorobieff

Second Committee Member

Dr. Anthony Menicucci

Third Committee Member

Dr. Matthew Sandlin

Fourth Committee Member

Dr. Chi Wang

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

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