Experimental testing of a high-flux cavity receiver

A new tubular cavity receiver for direct steam generation, 'SG4', has been built and tested on-sun based on integrated optical and thermal modelling. The new receiver achieved an average thermal efficiency of 97.1±2.1% across several hours of testing, and reduced the losses by more than half, compared to the modelled performance of the previous SG3 receiver and dish. Near-steady-state outlet steam temperatures up to 560°C were achieved during the tests