Central solar energy receiver

An improved point focus central solar energy receiver, mounted on top of a tower surronded by a heliostat field, for heating air, in the vicinage of said receiver, which is then drawn by a low pressure, induced draft fan through ductwork having an air inlet orifice on top of said tower, wherein the improvement comprises:

• (a) a first plurality of solar energy absorbing, spaced-apart, and generally vertically oriented, elongated fin-shaped slats disposed in a first pluralism of concentric cylindrical arrays having a common axis and surrounding said air inlet orifice, with each of said slats generally radially oriented with respect to said axis and with said slats of adjacent said arrays not radially aligned with respect to each other, and wherein said slats absorb said solar energy from said heliostat field and reradiate heat energy to produce heated air in the vicinity of said slats;
• and
• (b) means for distributing airflow of said heated air, which is pulled by said fan, from said vicinity of said slats to said air inlet orifice.