Experimental Characterization of Heat Transfer to Vertical Dense Granular Flows Across Wide Temperature Range

Particle-based heat transfer fluids for concentrated solar power (CSP) tower applications offer a unique advantage over traditional fluids, as they have the potential to reach very high operating temperatures. Gravity-driven dense granular flows through cylindrical tubes demonstrate potential for CSP applications and are the focus of the present study. The heat transfer capabilities of such a flow system were experimentally studied using a bench-scale apparatus. The effect of the flow rate and other system parameters on the heat transfer to the flow was studied at low operating temperatures (