Transient thermal response and regulation of transparent silica aerogels under fluctuating solar irradiance
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Transparent silica aerogels can reduce heat loss from solar receivers while maintaining high solar transmission, but their performance under fluctuating irradiation is governed by the coupled effects of solid conduction, non-gray thermal radiation, and ...
MoreTransparent silica aerogels can reduce heat loss from solar receivers while maintaining high solar transmission, but their performance under fluctuating irradiation is governed by the coupled effects of solid conduction, non-gray thermal radiation, and time-dependent fluid heat extraction. Here, we develop and experimentally validate a transient 5-band model for an aerogel-covered solar receiver for fluid heating. The model resolves wavelength-dependent radiative transport within the aerogel and couples it with heat conduction and forced convection. We show that conduction and radiation cannot be reconstructed from isolated calculations because both adjust to a shared temperature field. The coupled heat flux at the aerogel-absorber interface is 23-31% lower than the directly superposed value, while appearing accurate at the external aerogel surface because the internal coupling effects compensate spatially. Flow regulation introduces a further trade-off between outlet temperature rise and response speed. Simulations driven by measured global horizontal irradiance in Shenzhen show that the flow adjustment interval mainly controls short-term temperature stability, whereas the irradiation regime and periods of flow interruption dominate the integrated thermal performance. These results establish a transport-based framework for understanding and regulating transparent aerogel covered solar receivers under variable solar input.
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Shiteng Li, ... Meng Lin
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.70401/tx.2026.0039 - October 16, 2026





























