Radiative transfer in a solar absorbing particle laden flow

A possible receiver configuration is a cavity in which a falling sheet of solid particles is directly irradiated by the concentrated solar flux passing through the aperture. Regardless of the particular geometry, the radiative transfer within the falling particle curtain must be studied in order to determine the net radiative heating rate for the particles. A discrete ordinate radiative transfer model has been developed to predict the radiative coupling within the falling particle curtain. The model determines how much energy is absorbed by the particles, how much is transmitted to the rear wall of the receiver, and determines the effects of particle scattering and thermal emission on the net radiation absorbed by the particles. The model accounts for the directional nature of the radiation field, particle scattering, and the wavelength dependence of the optical properties. The discrete ordinate model has been used to assess the influence of the pertinent radiation transfer parameters in determining the local and overall particle heating rates. The results of this study are discussed as well as the analysis.