US 12,435,907 B2
Tubular receiver for heating particles with solar energy
Andrew Stephen Oles, Baltimore, MD (US); Apurba Kumar Das, Katy, TX (US); Chiranjeev Singh Kalra, Irvine, CA (US); and Gary Thomas Pashko, Ludlow, MA (US)
Assigned to HELIOGEN HOLDINGS, INC., Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed by Heliogen Holdings, Inc., Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/820,052.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/235,067, filed on Aug. 19, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0058254 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. F24S 80/20 (2018.01); F24S 20/20 (2018.01); F24S 20/30 (2018.01); F24S 10/70 (2018.01)
CPC F24S 80/20 (2018.05) [F24S 20/20 (2018.05); F24S 20/30 (2018.05); F24S 10/72 (2018.05); F24S 2020/23 (2018.05); Y02E 10/44 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A particle receiver, comprising:
an inlet;
an outlet; and
a plurality of tubes rotatably coupled to the inlet and the outlet and configured to receive a flow of a plurality of particles via the inlet, after being delivered into each of the plurality of tubes the particles flowing along a passageway of each of the tubes to the outlet solely due to a force of gravity, the particles dispensed via the outlet, the tubes configured to receive solar energy on an outer surface thereof to heat the particles passing through the tubes, wherein each of the plurality of tubes includes an outer tube and an inner tube, the outer tube configured to rotate relative to the inner tube, an annulus defined between the inner tube and the outer tube, the particles configured to flow through the annulus between a proximal portion and a distal portion of the plurality of tubes.