Introduction to Renewable and Non-Renewable energy

Solar Energy

Abdulaziz Al-Harbi
07/05/2018   The Round

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 Oil
Gas C
o
a
will not be the three kings of l
the energy world for ever. It is
no longer folly to look up to the sun and wind, down into
the sea's waves

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 Lesson(1): Introducing Solar Energy

The Sun is a self-luminous ball of gas held together by its own gravity
and powered by thermonuclear fusion in its core.
• The Sun is Ninety-three million miles from
Earth.
• Our Sun is 333,000 times the size of our
plant.
• It has a diameter of 865,000 miles.
• Surface temperature of 5,600 ˚C and a core
temperature of 15,000,000 ˚C.
• It has a huge mass of constant nuclear
activity.

Directly or indirectly, our sun provides all the

power we need to exist and supports all life forms.
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 Solar Structure:
The Sun is divided into seven regions based on the physical characteristics of these regions. The boundaries
are not sharp.
1. fusion core - region of energy generation (0-200,000 km).

2. radiation zone - the region where energy transport is by radiation

flow (200,000-500,000 km).

3. convection zone - the region where energy transport is by

convection cells (500,000-696,000 km).

4. photosphere - the surface where photons are emitted (696,000-

696,500 km).

5. chromosphere - the atmosphere of the Sun (696,500-698,000

km).

6. transition zone - the region where the temperature rises

dramatically (698,000-706,000 km).
The Sun rotates differentially since
7. corona - the superhot region where the solar wind originates it is not a solid. The solar equator
(706,000-10,000,000 km).
completes one rotation in 25 days.
8. solar wind - solar material escaping into space(>10,000,000 km). The poles complete one rotation in
36 days.
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 Sun's Interior:
• Stars form from clouds of gas (Most of the gas is hydrogen or
helium, but there are also small amounts of other elements such
as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, magnesium and iron) and collapse
under self-gravity.
• The collapse is stopped by internal pressure in the core of the star.
• As the temperature goes up, the pressure goes up to stop the
collapse.
• The heat from the collapse is sufficient for the Sun to shine.

 The structure of the Sun is determined by 5 relations or physical

concepts:
1) Hydrostatic equilibrium.
2) Thermal equilibrium.
3) Energy transport.
4) Energy production.
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   1.) Hydrostatic equilibrium:
The fact that pressure balances the self-gravity.

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 2.) Thermal equilibrium:
The amount of energy generated equals the amount radiated away.

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 4.) energy transport:
How energy is transported from the core to the photosphere (convection or radiation)

• There are three ways to transfer energy;

 Conduction: the collisional transfer of energy between atoms, only occurs
between solids (such as a hot pan and your hand), so is not found in the Sun.
 Convection: the motion of heated material, such as bubbles in boiling water.
 Radiation: the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves (light).

Only convection and radiation transfer are important in the Sun

and the opacity determines which method is used.

• When the temperature is high and all the atoms are stripped of their electrons, the
opacity is low and radiation transfer is dominant.

• When the temperature drops, such as in the outer layers of the solar interior, the
protons and electrons recombine to form atoms and the opacity goes up. High opacity
slows the transfer of energy by radiation, so bubbles form. These bubbles are hot and
low in density, thus starting a convective flow.
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5.) Energy production:
In the case of stars, energy is produced by thermonuclear fusion

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Between the Sun and the Earth

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 The source of solar power

• Deep in the centre of the sun, intense

nuclear activity generates huge amounts
of radiation.

• In turn, this radiation generates light

energy called photons.

• Different photons carry different

wavelengths of light. Some photons carry
non-visible light (infra-red and ultra-
violet), whilst others will carry visible light
(white light).

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 The source of solar power (Cont…)
• Over time, these photons push out
from centre of the sun. it take
100,000 years for a photon to
push out to the surface from the
core.

• Once they reach the sun’s surface,

these photons rush through space
at a speed of 670 million miles per
hour. They reach earth in around
eight minutes.
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The source of solar power (Cont…)
• On the journey from the sun to earth, (166 PW)
photons can collide with and be
deflected by other particles, and are
destroyed on contact with anything that
can absorb radiation, generating heat.
That is why you feel warm on a sunny
day: your body is absorbing photons
from the sun.

• The Sunlight incident on the Earth, for

instance, 116 petawatts (PW), more
than 10000 times our current (85 PW)
consumption.

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Lesson(2): Solar Radiation Measurements

• Global or total radiation consists of three components:

 Direct.
 Diffused or scattered.
 Reflected or albedo surfaces.

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Renewable Resource Atlas of Saudi Arabia
• King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable
Energy (K.A.CARE) has launched a Renewable
Resource Atlas of Saudi Arabia in support of
achievement of a sustainable energy mix.
• The Atlas provides newly collected and
historical solar and wind resource monitoring data, plus
satellite-based modelled data, for use by developers,
researchers, government institutions, and policy-
makers.
• The Atlas is currently free of charge, and will continue
to grow as a foundational program of K.A.CARE.
• The Atlas site features a web portal with information
about the Atlas and a mapping interface that allows the
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displaying and downloading of certain datasets.
The world's solar radiation

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s solar radiation

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 Solar thermal collectors
 Solar thermal Collector:
 Flat plate.
 Focusing.

 Collecting characteristics:
 Flat plate.
 Focusing (Reflectors).
 Mounting:
 Equatorial mounting.
 Altazimuth mounting to
get more solar radiation.

 Types of fluid:
 Liquid (Water or a
solution of water, such
as ethylene glycol)
 Gas (Air).
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 Solar Thermal Collectors

 objective study
( lesson 3 and 4) : Flat
. Concentrating
 Mean components.
 Mode of operation.
 Advantages.
 Disadvantages.
 Applications.
 Feasibility of using it in
KSA.

 objective study
( lesson 5) :
 Solar thermal Energy
Storage Technologies.

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 Lesson(3): Flat Solar Thermal Energy
• Flat plate collector (FPC) is
considered to be in a steady
position which cannot track
sunlight.

• FPC works in low temperatures

(below 60˚C) and in
intermediate temperatures
(below 100˚C) [8].
 Mean components of (FPC):
As shown in Figure on the right, flat plate
collectors consist of an insulated metal
box in order to reduce conductive heat
losses, tubes in order to extract thermal
energy out of the plate, a dark colour
absorber plate and a plastic cover.
Collector area plays an important role in Figure 2-2: The cross-section of a flat plate
exposure to sunlight [10]. collector [10].
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 Flat Solar Thermal Energy
• The absorber is usually a sheet of high-
thermal conductivity metal such as
copper, with tubes either integral or
attached.

• Its surface is coated to maximize radiant

energy absorption and to minimize
radiant emission.

• The cover sheets, called glazing, allow

sunlight to pass through the absorber
but also insulate the space above the
absorber to prevent cool air to flow into
this space.

Figure : The cross-section of a flat plate

collector. 23
 Mode of operation of FPC
The principle of operation of the flat plat collector is a transparent cover
which receives solar radiation and passes this radiation through to the absorber
plate which has a high absorptivity.

Due to this, a large amount of energy is transferred into fluid tubes for either storage
or usage.

The FPC must be slanted towards the equator.

In the northern hemisphere, for example, the FPC must face the south and vice versa
in the southern hemisphere.

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 Advantages of Disadvantages of (FPC)
(FPC)
Although, there are several
FPC is considered to be:
disadvantages of utilising this
• Cheap
technology, such as:
• And easy to incorporate within
• Its poor performance .
building technology.
• Performance decreases when glass and
absorbers get dirty.
• It has considerably higher maintenance
and repair costs than evacuated tube
collector systems (ETC).
• The efficiency is low and heat loss
during the daytime is significant.
• It must be used in hot weather whereas
it cannot be used in regions where cold
weather occurs regularly.
• It has slow heat generation [13].

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Applications of FPC: Common Type of Solar
Water Heating Systems

Feasibility of using FPC in KSA

FPC is considered to be cheap and easy to
incorporate within buildings and it can be
used for heating applications [14]. 29
Evacuated Tube Collector (ETC)
• ETC is considered to be in a steady position which cannot
track the Sun’s light.

• ETC operates in the temperature range from 50 to 200°C

[11].

• The sun's radiation is absorbed by the selective coating on

the inner glass surface, but is prevented from re-radiating
out by the silver-coated innermost lining which has been
optimized for infrared radiation.

• This acts similarly as an one-way mirror. This is very

efficient. 93% of the sun light's energy hitting the tube's
surface, is absorbed, whereas only 7% is lost through
reflection and re-emission.

• The presence of the vacuum wall prevents any losses by

conduction or convection - just like a thermos flask.

• Because of this, the system will work even in very low

temperatures, unlike traditional flat plate collectors.

Figure 2-3: The typical design of an

evacuated collector [17].

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 Evacuated Tube Collector (ETC)
• Glass evacuated tubes are the key component of the
Evacuated Tube Heat Pipe solar collectors.

• Each evacuated tube consists of two glass tubes.

• The outer tube is made of extremely strong

transparent borosilicate glass that is able to resist
impact from hail up to 25mm in diameter.

• The inner tube is also made of borosilicate glass, but

coated with a special selective coating, which
features excellent solar heat absorption and
minimal heat reflection properties.

• The air is evacuated from the space between the two

glass tubes to form a vacuum, which eliminates
conductive and convective heat loss. The vacuum
tube solar panel has been around for several years Figure: The typical design of an evacuated collector.
and has proved to be both reliable and dependable.
The double wall glass tubes (made from strong
borosilicate glass i.e. Pyrex) have a space in the
centre which contains the heat pipe.
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 Mode of operation of (ETC)

• The heat transferred to the tip of

the heat pipe is in turn transferred
to a copper manifold in which
water circulates to heat the
domestic hot water tank.

• If a tube is placed in direct

sunlight on a summer day, the tip
temperature can reach 250 °C - so
the system easily heats domestic
hot water cylinders to 60 °C even
in cooler weather.
Figure : The Mode of operation of (ETC).

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Mode of operation of (ETC)

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 Advantages of Disadvantages of (ETC)
(ETC)
Although, there are several
ETC is considered to be:
• ETC can be used in very hot and very cold
disadvantages of utilising this
weather. technology, such as:

• It is easy to maintain. • The main disadvantages of ETC are that

it is expensive and is not easy to
• For example, if a tube breaks the collector incorporate within buildings [14].
will still operate, though at a lower
efficiency.

• Each individual tube can be replaced

without shutting down the system or
removing the collector.

• It has high efficiency in high temperature

locations with slight heat loss during day
time and the heat generation is
considerable [13].

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Applications of (ETC)

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 Feasibility of using ETC in KSA
• ETC creates larger thermal efficiency in
bright sunshine [19].

• ETC is a promising option for the KSA

due to its advantages and applications
which can be used for heating during
winter.

• It can be used for local applications such

as desalination and big applications
such as power generation.

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 Comparison between FPC and ETC:
Table 2.1

Table showing important different parameters between FPC and ETC [8] [14]and [13].

  Indicative Efficiency Heat Loss During Performance Generation

Temperature Range Daytime
(°C)
FPC 30-80 Low Great Poor Slow

ETC 50–200 High Small High Quickly

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Exercise 2.3
1. Do solar hot water systems produce hot water in the winter?
2. Do solar hot water panels produce hot water on cloudy/overcast days?
3. What happens if one of the solar tubes on my evacuated tubes system
breaks?
4. What happens if the Flat plate collector is broken?
5. Describe the principle operation of solar thermal conversion; support
your answer with a schematic?
6. Compare between FPC AND ETC, such as mean components, mode
of operation, advantages and disadvantages, applications and
feasibility of using it in the KSA?

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 Lesson(4): Concentrating Solar thermal energy
• Mirror or lens faces are used
in the CSP in order to focus
the sun’s beams into an
aperture and then into an
absorber .

• Generally CSP need to track

the sunlight.

• The CPC generally reaches

higher temperatures
than the FPC and ETC as
soon as direct sun beams are
available.

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Mode of operation of CSP
• The principle operation of CSPis that
sun-light is reflected optically first by
using a mirror or lens to focus the
light.
• The heated fluid can be used either to
generate electricity (for RO) or steam
(for MSF or MED) immediately or to
store this energy in any type of energy
storage technologies [8].
Advantages
o Great thermodynamic efficiency.
o Higher thermal efficiency .
o A lesser amount of material is
required for CSP reflecting faces
and the structure is simpler than
FPC.
o They are economically viable.
Disadvantages
o With time, a loss of reflectance of the
mirror or lens faces may occur and
they may require regular cleaning
and refurbishment.
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 Parabolic trough collector (PTC)
• The PTC is considered to be a single-axis system, tracking
the sunlight to guarantee that solar energy falls next to its
axis; this is known as beam radiation and is also called
Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI).
• PTC operates in the temperature range from 60 to 300°C
[11].
• PTC consists of a parabolic reflector (collector), receiver
(absorber) on a focal line of the collector and a tracking
mechanism .
• The metal absorber tube is filled with fluid, typically
synthetic oil, which can be heated up to 400°C.
• The use of other heat transfer fluids like molten salts or
direct steam allows the operation up to 550°C, hence
improving the plant efficiency.

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Principle operation of PTC:
• The principle operation of PTC is that it
concentrates energy onto an absorber pipe
by using a parabolic mirror, thereby
increasing the enthalpy of the fluid flowing
inside the absorber pipe [22].
Advantages:
• PTC is considered as one of the cheapest,
most developed and best commercially
tested technologies to generate electricity.
• PTC can be easily hybridized with a
conventional Rankine steam cycle and
this ensures that during the hours of darkness
or when the Sun is clouded over, this system
can still generate electricity through a
fossil fuel.
• For example, Solar Energy Generating
Systems (SEGS) generate 90% of their
electricity through sunlight and when solar
power is not suffient to meet requirements
natural gas is used instead.
Disadvantages:
• However, the fluid temperature that is
generated by PTC is not as high as
other CSP technologies.
• PTC requires a good tracking system
and a larger field of view [24].
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 Example of an application using a parabolic trough
collector (PTC)
• SEGS used in California’s Mojave Desert in
the USA, are considered to be one example
of an application using a parabolic trough
collector (PTC).

• The capacity of the SEGS plant is 354 MW

thereby making it one of the world’s
biggest thermal solar energy plants
[25].

• There are a number of sites using this

technology such as Nevada Solar which has
a capacity of 64MW and Andasol Solar Figure: shows SEGS in California’s Mojave
Power Station with a capacity of 49.9MW Desert in the USA.
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[26].
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Future of PTC in the KSA:

• PTC is thought to be one of the strongest and best performing systems in

the commercial power industry today.

• Since SEGS has been constructed, considerable technological improvement

has been realised [27].

• The main problem of PTC is that it generates lower fluid heat than other
CPC technologies [23].

• However, PTC is considered to be a promising option for the KSA.

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Linear Fresnel Reflector (LFR)

• The main difference

between the LFR and the
PTC is associated with
the absorber pipe as it is
connected to the area
atop the mirror field as
shown in the right.

Figure : The basic layout of a Linear

Fresnel Reflector [28].

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Comparison between LFR and PTC:
• LFR uses a flat solar mirror which is cheaper than
that used in PTC and the absorber pipe is simpler • However, LFR solar plants do not generate as high a
and cheaper than PTC. temperature as the PTC.

• The absorber pipe which is used in a LFR is less
complex and less expensive than that utilised in
PTC.
• It is possible to crossbreed a LFR plant with a
backup fossil fuel which this can be utilised to
generate electricity if the light of the sun
disappears [29].
• LFR tracks the sun’s light from east to west (using a
single-axis sun-tracking system) during daytime in
order to make sure that the sun reflects continuously
onto the absorber pipe [30].
• Therefore, the thermal efficiency of LFR is lower
than PTC [31].

• LFR is made up of a considerable amount of

collectors arranged in corresponding order which
are usually arranged in a north-south direction in
order to take full advantage of summer and annual
energy collection.

• Similarly to PTC, LFR can be easily hybridized

with a natural gas backup in order to generate
electricity when the sun goes down or it is
obscured by cloud.

• . 62
 Example of an application
using (LFR):
• Puerto Errado 2 (PE2) is considered
as one example of an application
using Linear Fresnel reflector (LFR)
technology.
• The capacity of PE2 is 30MW which is
able to produce 50 million kW hours
of electricity annually [32].
The future of (LFR) in the
KSA:
LFR is a good option to use it in KSA
but the main problem is the capacity
of electrical output which is
considered to be too small as compare
to other CPC.
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 Parabolic dish reflector (PDR)
• The PDR is point absorber collector which follows the
sun using two axes. The indicative temperature range is
100-500˚C [1].
• Figure on the right illustrates a parabolic dish reflector.
PDR comprises mirrors organised in the form of
parabolic dish which are highly reflective and light
weight. These mirrors concentrate the sun’s light onto a
receiver [33].
• The solar light is concentrated onto a receiver by using
the parabolic dish mirrors. In the centre of the parabolic
dish, a receiver is located.
• Once the light energy is taken in by the receiver, it
Figure : The basic layout of a
changes it into electricity by using a turbine or else Parabolic Dish Reflector (PDR) [33].
transports it to a power conversion system using pipes.

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 PDR
Advantages Disadvantages

• PDR has the greatest efficiency when • It is that it is not suitable for the storage
of thermal energy due to it being
compared to other solar collectors due
designed with many individual units [34].
to the fact that they are continuously
facing the Sun.

• They are able to work both individually

or as a bigger combined layout of dishes
due to the employment of a modular
collector and receiver units [11].

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 PDR
Example of an application
using (LFR):
• The Maricopa Solar Plant in Arizona, USA
is an example of an application using
parabolic dish reflector (PDR) technology.
• The capacity of the Maricopa Solar Plant
is 1.5MW [35].
The future of (PDR) in the
KSA:
• PDR is considered to be a
promising option for the KSA due
to it requiring a small amount of
water.
• The KSA is considered to be desert
which implies that bringing water
to the station will require a lot of
effort.
• Moreover, it has great efficiency
when compared to other solar
collectors.
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Solar Tower System (STS)
• The solar tower system is a point absorber
type system which tracks the Sun along two
axes.
• The indicative temperature range is 150-
2000˚C [8].
• Solar tower systems consist of hundreds to
thousands of heliostats (dual axis controlled
flat mirrors) located around a tower (solar
receiver) in circles, as shown in Figure on
the right. The solar receiver is cylindrical
[36].
Figure : The basic layout of a solar power
• The receiver contains a fluid medium. tower plant.

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Principle operation of STS:

• It works through the reflection of the

sun’s beams onto an aperture area on
the top of the solar power tower receiver
using mirrors, known as heliostats, in
order to heat a fluid such as molten salt
flowing through the pipes embedded
inside the receiver.

• A fluid is used as a heat collector and is

employed in the creation of steam
within a heat exchanger to power a
turbo alternator.

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 STS
Advantages Disadvantages

• The main disadvantages of STS are

• It offers large-scale production due
to its ability to produce a lot of
electricity daily.
that it usually occupies a large area
of land, is very expensive and
requires daily maintenance [39].

• The option to save heat by means of

thermal storage with the addition of
employing this heat in another
period separate from sunshine.

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 Example of an application using (STS):

• The Ivanpah Solar Energy Generating System (ISEGS)

is one example of a solar power tower project.
• The ISEGS project is built in California.
• It proposes to generate .
• It will occupy approximately around 3,471 acres of
public property.
• Here, there are three towers, which are 459-foot tall,
and 173,500 heliostats with every heliostat supporting
two flat reflective mirrors.
• Mirrors follow the sun in two dimensions by using
more than 300,000 lines of software code in order to
reflect the sun’s beams into the boilers that are located
Fugure: The Ivanpah Solar Energy
at the top of the three 459 feet towers [40].
Generating System (ISEGS).

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Future of STS in the KSA

• The solar tower model has high efficiency due to its high energy
concentration and high operating temperatures besides its simple
structure and principle and that it can easily store energy in thermal
storage.
• The future of the solar tower system is hugely dependant on the
success of ISEGS.
• From looking at the solar tower system advantages and its ability to
produce electricity at a high capacity, the solar power tower is
considered to be a promising option for the KSA.

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Comparison between STS technologies:
Table 2.2

This table shows important parameters of concentrating parabolic collectors (CPC) [8] [41] [38] [32]
[42]and [43].

CSP Motion Absorber Indicative Capacity Type of Focus

Type Temperature Range:

Range (°C) ( MW)

PTC Single-axis Tubular 60–300 200 Line

tracking

LFR Single-axis Tubular 60–250 Around 12-30 Line

tracking

PDR Two-axes Point 100–500 1.5 Parabolic dish

tracking

STS Two-axes Point 150-2000 100-370 Tower

tracking

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The optimal STC for the KSA

• Solar thermal collectors (STC) system are more favourable in the KSA due to their
high direct normal irradiation (DNI) in some places.
• Solar tower systems (STS) are considered to be the main promising option
for the KSA due to them offering large-scale production, having a high efficiency .
• Besides this, STSs have a simple structure and run on a straight forward principle and
they can easily store energy in thermal storage.
• STC technology is the solution for most remote cities in the KSA as it is able to power
more than thousands of houses.
• The Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC), is considered to be another promising option for
the KSA due to its large capacity range around 200 MW.
• In general, STC is promising for use in the KSA due to its advantages and the
conditions in the KSA although it is clearly evident that each technique discussed has
its own advantages and disadvantages.

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 CSP AROUND THE WORLD

 Global installed capacity of CSP plants in the last 10 years has jumped
from 3.55 GW in 2005 to nearly 4.7 GW by the end of 2015, making it an
established technology in the developed and emerging markets.

 In 2018, there will be even stronger growth, partly due to large projects
planned in Egypt, Kuwait, and Tunisia. The report predicts that growth
in global CSP capacity will rise from the current 4.7 GW (in 2015) to
reach a capacity of between 10 and 22 GW by 2025.

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 CSP AROUND THE WORLD

 New markets in CSP technology are emerging in most continents

and locations where there is plenty of sun and skies are clear such as
North Africa, South Africa, Americas, Australia, China, India, and
Middle East.
 In 2013, Abu Dhabi installed Shams-I, which is one of the largest CSP
project in the world. In United States, the Department of Energy and
committed industry partners connected the most innovative five CSP
plants to the grid in 2013.

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 Largest CSP Plants of the World in Operation
 According to Zachary Shahan of Clean Technica, the largest
solar thermal power plants in operation as of 2014 are:
1. Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert of California, United States
—392 MW
2. Solar Energy Generating Systems in California, United States—354 MW
3. Solana Generating Station in Arizona, United States—280 MW
4. Solaben Solar Power Station in Logrosán, Spain—200 MW
5. Solnova Solar Power Station in Seville, Spain—150 MW
6. Andasol Solar Power Station in Granada, Spain—150 MW
7. Extresol Solar Power Station in Torre de Miguel Sesmero, Spain—150 MW
8. Shams-1 in Abu Dhabi, UAE—100 MW (largest single-unit solar power plant in the world)
9. Palma del Río Solar Power Station in Córdoba, Spain—100 MW
10. Manchasol Solar Power Station in Ciudad Real, Spain—100 MW
11. Valle Solar Power Station in San José del Valle, Spain—100 MW
12. Helioenergy Solar Power Station in Écija, Spain—100 MW
13. Aste Solar Power Station in Alcázar de San Juan, Spain—100 MW
14. Solacor Solar Power Station in El Carpio, Spain—100 MW
15. Helios Solar Power Station in Puerto Lápice, Spain—100 MW
16. Termosol Solar Power Station in Navalvillar de Pela, Spain—100 MW
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CSP Projects Statistics & CSP Plants Worldwide

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Exercise 2.4
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of CPC?
2. Name the various types of CPC; support your answer with a schematic?
3. Compare between various types of CPC, such as mean components, mode
of operation, advantages and disadvantages, applications and feasibility of
using it in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)?

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 Lesson(5): Solar thermal Energy Storage Technologies

• Higher solar annual contribution.

• Reduction of part-load operation.
• Increase system reliability.
• Power management.
• Increase generation capacity.
• Reduction of costs of generation.
• Buffer storage.

Thermal energy storage (TES):

systems correct the mismatch
between the supply and
demand of energy.

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 Molten salt sensible heat storage
• Molten salt can be employed as a thermal energy storage method to retain
thermal energy collected by a solar tower or solar trough of a concentrated
solar power plant, so that it can be used to generate electricity in bad
weather or at night.

• The system is predicted to have an annual efficiency of 99%, a reference

to the energy retained by storing heat before turning it into electricity,
versus converting heat directly into electricity.

• The molten salt mixtures vary.

• The most extended mixture contains sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate and
calcium nitrate.

• The salt melts at 131 °C (268 °F). It is kept liquid at 288 °C (550 °F) in an
insulated "cold" storage tank. The liquid salt is pumped through panels in
a solar collector where the focused sun heats it to 566 °C (1,051 °F). It is
then sent to a hot storage tank. This is so well insulated that the thermal
energy can be usefully stored for up to a week.[12]

• When electricity is needed, the hot salt is pumped to a conventional

See this on youtube:
steam-generator to produce superheated steam for a turbine/generator as https://www.youtube.com/wat
used in any conventional coal, oil or nuclear power plant. ch?v=jTSZSJnlKUY

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Molten Salt Storage- Andasol 1

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Molten Salt Storage- Andasol 1

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Exercise 2.5
Write a short note on the following topics:
A. Steam Accumulator.
B. Molten salt sensible heat storage.

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Lesson(6): Heat Transfer Fluids.

 Heat transfer fluids carry the heat to the storage tank and then to
the steam generator.

 As a result, it is important for good fluids to have:

 A low viscosity.
 And high thermal capacity.

 Example of heat transfer fluids:

o Water.
o Synthetic oil.
o Molten salt.

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Heat Transfer Fluids (Water)

Water is a good heat transfer fluid as it has a

high thermal capacity and low viscosity.
 It is cheaper to use because its application in direct
steam generation saves cost in the heat exchanger.
 However, it is unstable and difficult to manage at
high temperatures.

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Heat Transfer Fluids (Synthetic oil)

Oil
 It has a higher liquid temperature than water
and has been a preferred choice to get around
the high pressure issue.
 The problem with heavy oil is that hydrocarbons breaks down quickly if
heated to within 400°C, therefore there are limits on the temperature at
which the CSP can operate.

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 Heat Transfer Fluids (Molten Salt).

Molten salt
 which is a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate can handle
much higher temperatures than oil or water at 550°C allowing steam
turbines to operate at greater efficiency.

 One problem with this heat transfer fluid is the risk of freezing of the
salt in the longer length of receiver.
The efficiency of energy storage using this method is approximately
99% where 1% of stored energy is lost due to imperfect insulation.

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Solar Thermal Energy

Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Harbi

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