Hybrid receiver-combustor

Abstract

A hybrid receiver-combustor () for capturing heat energy from a solar source and a fuel source. The hybrid receiver-combustor () includes a vessel () for acting both as a combustion furnace and as a solar receiver, and a plurality of burners () for combusting an oxidant stream, such as an air stream, and a fuel stream. The vessel () includes a casing () defining a cavity () having an aperture () for receiving the concentrated solar radiation from the solar source. The cavity () provides a chamber defining a zone () which can function as a combustion zone for production of heat energy through a combustion process using the fuel and into which concentrated solar radiation can be received from the solar source through the aperture (). A heat energy absorber () configured as a heat exchanger is provided to receive heat energy from concentrated solar radiation entering the cavity () through the aperture () and from combustion within the cavity. A fluidic seal system () is associated with the aperture () and is operable to establish a fluidic seal to restrict fluid flow through the aperture () during the combustion process. The fluidic seal comprises exhaust gas from the combustion process within the cavity ().