Volumetric Solar Receiver Technology in Thermal Energy Systems

Volumetric solar receivers represent a transformative evolution in concentrated solar power (CSP) and solar-driven thermal systems, in which incoming radiation penetrates into a three-dimensional absorber material rather than being absorbed solely at a surface. By embedding porous media or packed beds within a cavity or enclosed structure, these receivers convert concentrated sunlight directly into heat throughout the volume of the absorber, thereby reducing peak temperatures, mitigating surface re-radiation losses and enhancing overall thermal efficiency. Recent advances in materials science have yielded high-temperature ceramics, silicon carbide foams and metal-infiltrated structures that retain mechanical integrity under severe thermal cycling and support working fluids such as air, molten salts or gas mixtures at temperatures exceeding 700 °C. Detailed computational fluid dynamics and pore-scale models now capture coupled radiative transfer, fluid flow and solid–fluid heat exchange under local thermal non-equilibrium, guiding design optimisation of porosity, pore size distribution and cavity geometry. These developments pave the way for integrated thermochemical processes, high-efficiency power cycles and industrial heat applications, with global significance for renewable dispatchability and decarbonisation of heat-intensive sectors.

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Volumetric Solar Receiver Technology in Thermal Energy Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in volumetric solar receiver technology in thermal energy systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Volumetric absorption: The process by which solar radiation is absorbed throughout the bulk of a material rather than at its surface, enhancing heat distribution and reducing re-radiation losses.

Porous absorber: A structured solid medium—often ceramic foam or packed bed—that permits fluid flow and supports volumetric heat exchange between radiation, solid matrix and working fluid.

Local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE): A modelling assumption in which the solid and fluid phases within porous media are allowed to have distinct temperature fields, accounting for finite heat exchange rates.

Cavity receiver: An enclosed solar receiver geometry that concentrates radiation into an insulated aperture, creating a high-flux environment for volumetric absorption by internal materials.

Solar concentration ratio: The ratio of the solar flux incident on the receiver aperture to the standard extraterrestrial solar constant, indicating the degree of optical concentration achieved by the collector system.

References

1. Experimentally validated pore-scale numerical analysis for high-temperature (>700°C), high-efficiency (>90%) volumetric solar receivers. Energy Conversion and Management X (2021).
2. Experimental testing of a solar air cavity-receiver with reticulated porous ceramic absorbers for thermal processing at above 1000 °C. Solar Energy (2021).
3. An investigation on the thermal performance of volumetric solar absorbers with lateral wall power losses. Solar Energy (2024).
4. A Review of Radiative Heat Transfer in Fixed-Bed Particle Solar Receivers. Sustainability (2023).