SolarReceiver2D: a Modelica Package for Dynamic Thermal Modelling of Central Receiver Systems

This paper describes the Modelica Package SolarReceiver2D which has been developed for the dynamic thermal analysis of central receiver systems. The package includes all the components necessary for the dynamic simulation of the solar receiver operation and it enables consideration of different receiver geometries, materials, HTFs, and operating conditions (e.g., HTF mass flow rate control strategies, heat flux, ambient conditions). Some of the package components are taken from existing Modelica libraries originally developed to model water and gas flows, while other are implemented as new components. The SolarReceiver2D package allows assessment of the receiver thermal efficiency and the temperature distributions experienced by the tubes and the HTF during its operation. The tubes temperature field is modelled in the axial, circumferential, and radial directions, and this makes the package suited for a thermo-mechanical analysis of the receiver. Moreover, the receiver response to passing clouds is dynamically simulated accounting for the effect of thermal transients. The SolarReceiver2D represents a useful tool for the design and optimization of solar tower receivers.