Automated particle mass-flow control system for high-temperature falling particle receivers

An automated particle mass-flow control system has been developed for high-temperature falling particle receivers. The system utilizes an electromechanically actuated slide gate that is designed to operate at 750°C to control the particle flow rate falling through the receiver. As the incoming irradiance changes, the particle mass flow rate is automatically adjusted to maintain a desired particle outlet temperature. The system uses the measured particle outlet temperature relative to a desired setpoint temperature and moves the slide gate to increase or decrease the mass flow rate accordingly in a closed-loop feedback control system. The control system components allow rapid movement of the slide gate with sub-millimeter accuracy resulting in a mass flow rate resolution less than 1 kg/m-s. Multiple slide gates can be used in parallel to accommodate large-scale receivers while independently controlling the particle mass flow rate along the width of the particle curtain. Using multiple slide gates (rather than a single larger slide gate) has the additional advantage of accommodating non-uniform irradiances on the particle curtain so that larger particle mass flow rates can be applied to regions of higher irradiance, and vice versa.