Overview of High Temperature
Solar Power Production
Prepared by
Prof. Dr. A. R. El-Ghalban
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Engineering and Technology
Taxila, Pakistan
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Technology Overview
High temperature can be achieved by concentrating
solar radiation using various mirror configurations.
High temperature heat can be used in the following
applications;
Electric power generation.
Hydrogen production
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Electric power generation
Using concentrating systems solar power plants
produce electric power by converting the sun's
energy into high-temperature heat.
The heat is then channeled through a conventional
generator.
The plants consist of two parts:
One that collects solar energy and converts it to
heat, and
Another that converts heat energy to electricity.
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Electric power generation
Concentrating solar power systems can be sized
from (10 kilowatts up to 350 megawatts).
Some systems use thermal storage during cloudy
periods or at night.
Others can be combined with natural gas and the
resulting hybrid power plants provide high-value,
dispatchable power.
Concentrating solar power plants generate their
peak output during sunny periods when peak
electricity demand occurs as air conditioning loads
are at their peak.
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Technology Overview
These attributes, along with world record solar-to-
electric conversion efficiencies, make concentrating
solar power an attractive renewable energy option
in the sunbelt regions worldwide.
There are three kinds of concentrating solar power
systems. This classification according to the way
how they collect solar energy.
Trough systems,
Dish/engine systems, and
Power tower systems.
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Trough systems
In such systems the sun's energy is concentrated by
parabolic curved, trough-shaped reflectors onto a
receiver pipe running along the inside of the curved
surface.
This energy heats oil flowing through the pipe, and
the heat energy is then used to generate electricity in
a conventional steam generator.
A collector field comprises many troughs in parallel
rows aligned on a north-south axis.
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Trough systems
This configuration enables the single-axis troughs to
track the sun from east to west during the day to
ensure that the sun is continuously focused on the
receiver pipes.
Trough designs can incorporate thermal storage—
setting aside the heat transfer fluid in its hot phase—
allowing for electricity generation several hours into
the evening.
Currently, all parabolic trough plants are "hybrids,"
meaning they use fossil fuel to supplement the solar
output during periods of low solar radiation.
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Trough systems
Parabolic concentrators have been successfully
operating commercially since 1984, including the
largest solar power plant of any kind, the 350 MW
plant Solar Energy Generating Systems.
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Dish/Engine Systems
A dish/engine system uses a mirrored dish (similar
to a very large satellite dish).
The dish-shaped surface collects and concentrates
the sun's heat onto a receiver, which absorbs the
heat and transfers it to fluid within the engine.
The heat causes the fluid to expand against a piston
or turbine to produce mechanical power.
The mechanical power is then used to run a
generator or alternator to produce electricity by an
electric generator or alternator.
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Dish/Engine Systems
Dish/engine systems use dual-axis collectors to track
the sun.
The ideal concentrator shape is parabolic, created
either by a single reflective surface or multiple
reflectors, or facets.
There are many options for receiver and engine type,
including Stirling engine and Brayton receivers.
Dish/engine systems are not commercially available,
although ongoing demonstrations indicate good
potential.
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Dish/Engine Systems
Individual dish/engine systems currently can
generate about 25 kilowatts of electricity.
More capacity is possible by connecting dishes
together.
These systems can be combined with natural gas
and the resulting hybrid provides continuous
power generation.
The dish-Stirling system works at higher
efficiencies than any other current solar
technologies, with a net solar-to-electric
conversion efficiency reaching 30%.
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Dish/Engine Systems
One of the system’s advantages is that it is
“somewhat modular,” and the size of the facility can
be ramped up over a period of time.
That is compared to a traditional power plant or
other large-scale solar technologies that have to be
completely built before they are operational.
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Solar Power Towers
By collecting solar energy during daylight hours and
storing it in hot molten salt, solar power towers give
utilities an alternative method for meeting peak loads.
The receiver collects the sun's heat in a heat-transfer
fluid (liquid salt), which is used to generate steam for
a conventional steam turbine located at the foot of the
tower for production of electricity.
The liquid salt at 290°C is pumped from a cold storage
tank through the receiver, where it is heated to 565°C
and then on to a hot tank for storage.
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Solar Power Towers
When power is needed from the plant, hot salt is
pumped to a steam generating system that produces
superheated steam to power a turbine and generator.
From the steam generator, the salt is returned to the
cold tank, where it is stored and eventually reheated in
the receiver.
They are unique among solar technologies because
they can store energy efficiently and cost effectively.
They can operate whenever the customer needs
power, even after dark or during cloudy weather.
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Solar Power Towers
Power towers operate by focusing a field of
thousands of mirrors onto a receiver located at the
top of a centrally located tower.
With thermal storage, power towers can operate at
an annual capacity factor of 65%, which means they
can potentially operate for 65% of the year without a
backup fuel source. Without energy storage, solar
technologies like this are limited to annual capacity
factors near 25%.
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Solar Hydrogen Production
Steam Methane Reforming
Steam methane reforming is a possible process to
produce hydrogen. Methane is reformed at elevated
temperature and pressure to produce a syngas
(mixture of H2 and CO).
CH4+H2O Heat (206 kJ/ mole)
2H2 + CO
The reforming reaction is carried out in a reformer
containing tubes filled with nickel catalyst at
temperatures between 500ºC and 950ºC and a
pressure around 30 atmospheres.
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Solar Hydrogen Production
Coal Gasification
Like steam methane reforming, coal gasification
proceeds by a treatment of coal feedstock with high
temperature steam (1330ºC) to produce syngas
(mixture of H2 and CO).
Coal (carbon source) + H2O H2 + CO + impurities
The heat required for this gasification step comes
from controlled addition of oxygen, which allows
partial oxidation of a small amount of the coal
feedstock.
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Coal Gasification
Because of this, the reaction is carried out in either
an air-blown or oxygen-blown gasifier. The oxygen
blown gasifier must be supplied with O2 from an
independent air purification system.
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Solar Hydrogen Production
Sulfur-Iodine Cycle
In the sulfur-iodine cycle, a heat source, possibly a
solar dish, provides the heat necessary to drive
three coupled thermo-chemical reactions.
The coupled reaction system takes water as an
input and through a series of reactions involving
sulfur and iodine produces H2 and O2 as output.
Process flow sheets have been developed for heat
sources at 850 °C and 950°C.
The S-I cycle is described by the reactions:
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Solar Hydrogen Production
2H2O + SO2 + I2 Heat (-216 kJ/ mole) H2SO4+ 2 HI (< 120oC)
H2SO4 Heat ( 371 kJ/ mole) H2O +SO2 + ½ O2 (> 800oC)
2HI Heat ( 12 kJ/ mole)
H2 + I 2 (> 300oC)
Net Effect H2O H 2 + ½ O2
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Thank you
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Trough systems
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Trough systems
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Solar Power Generation
The Idea of Solar
Driven ORC
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Trough systems
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Trough systems
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Dish/Engine Systems
The cost for such
prototype unit (25 kW) is
about $150,000. Once in
production the cost could
be reduced to less than
$50,000 each, which
would make the cost of
electricity competitive
with conventional fuel
technologies.
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Dish/Engine Systems
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Dish/Engine Receiver
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Dish/Engine Plant
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Stirling engine
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Solar Power Towers
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Solar Power Towers
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Solar Power Towers
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Solar Power Towers
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