Concentrated solar power Technology

The sun's energy sources are focused by parabolically curved, trough-shaped reflectors onto a receiver pipe running across the within the curved surface. The temperature of the temperature transfer substance flowing through the pipeline, usually thermal oil, is increased from 293ºC to 393ºC, together with heat energy is after that always generate electricity in the standard steam generator.

a collector field comprises numerous troughs in parallel rows aligned on a north-south axis. This configuration enables the single-axis troughs to track the sunlight from east to west in the day to make sure that the sun is continually dedicated to the receiver pipelines.

Trough designs can include thermal storage—setting apart heat transfer fluid in its hot phase—allowing for electrical energy generation several hours in to the evening or during cloudy days. Some parabolic trough plants utilize fossil gas to augment the solar result during times of reasonable solar radiation. Typically an all-natural gas-fired temperature or a gas vapor boiler/reheater can be used; troughs can also be integrated with existing coal-fired plants.

Linear Fresnel techniques:

An alternative choice may be the approximation associated with the parabolic troughs by segmented mirrors based on the concept of Fresnel. For more information see: Linear Fresnel (PDF 98 KB).

Power Tower Systems:

Power tower or central receiver methods utilize sun-tracking mirrors labeled as heliostats to target sunlight onto a receiver at the top of a tower. a temperature transfer fluid heated when you look at the receiver to around 600ºC is employed to create vapor, which, in turn, is employed in the standard turbine-generator to create electrical energy.

Early energy towers, including the Solar One plant, utilized vapor as temperature transfer substance; current styles utilize molten nitrate salt due to its exceptional heat transfer and energy storage space abilities. Other styles utilize air as heat transfer medium due to its warm as well as its great handability.

The world’s largest CSP plant in operation may be the 392 MW Ivanpah solar plant in California which employs power tower technology. For more information see tech Characterization Solar Power Towers (PDF 304 KB).

Parablic Dish Systems:

Parabolic meal systems contain a parabolic-shaped point focus concentrator by means of a dish that reflects solar radiation onto a receiver mounted at the center point. These concentrators tend to be mounted on a structure with a two-axis monitoring system to follow the sun. The collected temperature is typically utilized straight by a heat engine installed on the receiver moving aided by the dish construction. Stirling and Brayton cycle motors are currently preferred for energy transformation.