Parabolic Dish systems use satellite-like mirror dish(es) to focus the light onto a singlecentral receiver in

front of the mirror. They so far have the highest heat-electricity conversion efficiencies among all CSP designs (up
to 30 %). The size of the concentrator is determined by its engine. A dish/Stirling systems concentrator with a
nominal maximum direct normal solar insolation of 1000 W/m2 and a 25-kW capacity has a diameter
ofapproximately 10 meters. It could also run on a single Brayton cycle, where air, helium or other gas is
compressed, heated and expanded into a turbine. Parabolic dish could be applied individually in remote locations,
or grouped together for small-grid (village power, 10 KW) or end-of-line utility (100 MW) applications. The
electricity has to be used immediately or transmitted to the gird as the system has no storage device. Intermittent
cloud cover can cause weakening of highly concentrated receiver source flux. Sensible energy storage in singlephase materials was proposed to allow a cylindricalabsorber element not only absorb the energy but also store it in
its mass, thus reducing the amplitude of cloud cover transients. Although this design only allows short period
energy storage, potential longer time storage technology would make
parabolic dish more appealing.
Dish/engine system schematic. The dish that
follows the sun on two axes focuses the sunlight
onto one single point on a receiver posed right in
front of the mirror. (C) SES

Stirling Energy System Inc.s 300 MW commercial solar thermal power plant in California.(c)International Rivers
Following is a video clip about this plant:

The Stirling Engineused in the aboved

parabolic dish:it produces grid-quality electricity

using the heat gathered by the receiver directly.It is a 4 cylinder, each with a 95cc displacemen
engine (4-95 engine) that evolved from the Philips engines of the 1960's.(C) SES

Click here for an animation on how it works:

http://www.keveney.com/Vstirling.html

Costs and Rates One dish costs around $250,000 averagely, depending on the capacity of it. Once
production rates rise, they could cost less than $150,000. Southern California Edison Electric Company cannot give
away the actual price per kWh, but they say it is well below the 11.33 cents seen currently.

More Designs

Dish/engine system with stretched-membrane mirrors: this design allows wind to pass through to minimize the
destructive force of wind. These dish systems were designed progressively by Jeffrey Sandubrae, P.E., a senior SAIC
engineer at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) with funding from D.O.E ( Picture from Algor.com,
Sunlab and Department of Energy )

Infinia Inc. s Modular Solar Thermal Dish

$50 million investment in total

20-30% cheaper energy production than PV cells

334 dishes per 1MW of power

designed to be assembled with mass produced parts that an

auto parts supplier could manufacture

each dish costs approximately $20,000

The History Of Solar Dishes

Solar dishes have been in use since ancient Mesopotamian times

Polished gold dishes were used to concentrate the sun and light altar fires

In the 17th century glass lenses were used to smelt iron, copper, and mercury

In the 18th century, concentrated solar power was used to heat ovens and furnaces

Supposedly the Greek scientist Archimedes used reflective bronze shields to focus sunlight at wooden
Roman ships to set fire to them

Bibliography
*the page is contributed by Molly Baker Mercer '12,Hampshire College

Solar dish
engine SolarPaceshttp://www.solarpaces.org/CSP_Technology/docs/solar_dish.pdf
Lund, K. O.A., Direct-Heating Energy-Storage Receiver for Dish-Stirling Solar Energy Systems, J. Sol. Energy
Eng. Feb1996 Volume 118, Issue 1, 15

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?
az=view_all&address=115x158332

http://www.starpointsolar.biz/

Copyright Yiting Wang 2008