SOLAR THERMAL POWER!

GEEN 4830 ECEN 5007!

6. Parabolic trough technology!

Manuel A. Silva Prez!

silva@esi.us.es!
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GEEN 4830 ECEN 5007
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Solar Thermal Power Plant.
Basic configuration

Beam irradiance

Concentrator

Concentrated irradiance

Electricity

Receiver

Thermal energy

Thermal Storage

Power
Fossil fuel conversion
Boiler

Biomass
system

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 PT power plant configuration

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 The collector

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Collector

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Main Concentrating Technologies

Linear Fresnel Reflectors

Parabolic troughs

Central Receiver / Heliostats Parabolic dishes

 Types of collectors

Process heat STP plant

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 Main elements of the collector

Reflector (mirror)
Receiver tube
Structure
Tracking system
Connecting elements
Control system

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 The reflector

Thin glass mirror (0.8

mm) Thick glass mirror (3 -5 mm)

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Alternative reflector materials: Reflectech
mirror film
Specular Reflectance 94% At
25 mrad, 660 nm
Solar-Weighted Hemispherical
Reflectance 94%
Durability: approx. 10 yrs.
Thickness: 0.1 mm

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Alternative reflector materials:
Alanod Miro-SUN

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 Structure

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 Structure

Bending resistance Torsional

resistance
Torque Tube design

LS3 Design

Torque Box Design

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 The receiver tube

Glass pin for evacuation of gases

and steel tubes

Vacuum between glass
Glass metal welding

Selective coated steel tube

'Getter for vacuum maintenance
Expansion bellow



Glass envelope

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 Receiver tubes

Schott PTR-70 Solel UVAC-2 and UVAC-3

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 Heat transfer fluid

Thermal oils
Caloria (SEGS I and II, <300C)
Therminol VP-1 (<400 C)
Syltherm (Dow Chemical, >400C)
Water / Steam
>400 C
DISS Project
Molten salts
ENEA facility
Gases
PSA Research Facility

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 Tracking mechanisms

Electrical motor -
gearbox Hydraulic

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 Connecting collectors

Flex hoses Rotating joints

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 Control elements

Shadowband sensor

Controller

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 Cleaning the mirrors

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 Solar field configuration (I)

1 SCA 150 m
12 SCE

1 Drive Pylon

10 Middle Pylon

1 End Pylon

1 Shared Pylon (shared with next SCA)

150 m

Shared Pylon

SCE

150 m
Middle Pylon

Drive Pylon

End Pylon

Hot
Oil
Cold
Oil

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 Solar field configuration (2)

Loop of
6 SCAs
1248 m

SEGS Power Block

80 MW Rankine Cycle Headers

Cross Over
Pipes

1379 m

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 Solar field configuration (3)
Thermal losses
Thermal losses

unbalanced P
Higher cost

Higher consumption
P balanced

Lower consumption

A) Direct return

B) Inverse return

h

Shorter pipelines

Better access to collectors

unbalanced P
C) Central

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 Solar field orientation

Z Z

Sol

O
S

C
Y
N
O
C
N

Y

Sol

S

X
X

S
S

E
E

a) E-W tracking
b) N-S tracking

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 Basic parameters

Aperture, A
Parabolic Acceptance
Angulo angle,
de aceptancia
Reflector Rayo
Sun solar
rays

Absorber tube

Angulo
Aperture angle ,
de apertura

External
Dimetroreceiver diameter , D
D

C =.A /.D

b) Concentration ratio, C
b) Acceptance angle,

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 Energy balance. Optical losses

Beam irradiance

interception factor,

,

Glass envelope

(Transmissivity = )

Selective-coated steel tube

(Absortivity = )

Parabolic mirror

(Reflectivity = )

o,peak =

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 Geometrical losses

Sun

L = concentrator length

= incidence angle
Sol

F = focal length

Side view
Absorber tube

Reflecting surface



Shaded
F

area

Plant view

ED

L

Sun

Af = W x ED = W x F x tan()

a) Shading losses
b) Loss of effective collector length

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 Loss of effective collector length

ED

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 Thermal losses

Absorber tube
Qabs,cond/conv. Qamb,rad

Qamb,conv
Qabs,rad.

Qv,abs.

[W/m2abs C] Glass envelope

UL)col = UL)abs / C
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 Energy balance (solar to thermal)

eff

eff

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 Typical operation curve
(clear day, no thermal storage)

Solar Efficiencies Measured at

SEGS VI
on July 1997 by KJC Operating
70 Company
% 1200

60 Direct Normal
% Radiation
1000

Direct Normal Radiatiom [W/m]

50
%
Thermal 800
-
40 Solar
Efficiency

% Field
Efficiency
600
30
%
[%]

20 400
%

10
Solar to
Electric 200
%
Efficiency
0 (gross)
% 0
05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00

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 Dispatchability of STP Plants

Integration of RES on the grid:

Dispatchability is a key factor.
STP Plants have the potential to be dispatchable by:
Including a Thermal Storage System (TES)
Hybridization with fossil or renewable fuels.

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 Andasol-type plants
(thermal storage and auxiliary boiler)

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 Dispatchable STP Plant

Continuous and stable operation is guaranteed by TES

and / or hybridization

50

40

MW
30

20

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Hours

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 TES

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 Hybridization options

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SEGS 30 MW

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Costs
Difficult to evaluate
Confidentiality of contracts
Volatility of prices
Only 2 3 providers of key elements
O&M experience restricted to US (SEGS Plants)

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 Costs CCP Spain. 8h TES

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 Costs Spain. No TES

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 O&M Costs Spain (8h TES)

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 PT Technology today, pros & cons.

Pros:
Mature technology;
Comercially proven, over 500 MW installed capacity;
Extensive operational record: 9 plants operating for 15+
years
Easier to finance
Cons:
Few manufacturers of key elements (recievers, mirrors) ->
limited competence
Limited maximum temperature -> limited efficiency
Costly, hazardous HTF
Limited TES options
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More
http://www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/
Sargent & Lundy Assessment of CSP
http://www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/pdfs/34440.pdf
Look for movies at youtube, e.g:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ysDXwvNGHeM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OLjooHY1VA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=mDWSW8BAM3U&feature=related
And more

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