Publications

Ceramic proppant dust generation in falling particle receiver applications

Schroeder, Nathan; Ho, Clifford K.

Falling particle receivers have the potential to increase the maximum operating temperature of CSP systems by directly heating a solid particle heat transfer fluid. Particle abrasion in FPR systems can generate dust which can escape out of open receiver designs. The characterization and capture of this dust can help mitigate health risks and increase the optical and thermal efficiency of the receiver. Particle fines were generated and captured by fluidizing a bed of nominally sized particles and filtering out the entrained particulate from the air exiting the bed. Particle fine size distribution, composition, and rate of generation was found for a specific mass of fluidized particles using optical microscopy, SEM, XRD, and aerosol sampling equipment to better inform dust filtration in falling particle receiver systems.