Category: Solar Thermal Power Systems

Salt gradient lakes, which exhibit an increase in temperature with depth, occur naturally. A salt gradient solar pond is a body of saline water in which the salt concentration increases with depth, from a very low value at the surface to near saturation at the depth of usually 1–2 m (Tabor, 1981). The density gradient inhibits free…

The solar updraft tower is a renewable-energy power plant for generating electricity from solar power. The principle of operation of a solar chimney or updraft power plant is that because of its lower density hot air rises and creates a draft. The system consists of a chimney, a solar energy collector and wind turbines. In…

Thermal solar power plants are similar to the conventional ones with the exception that a field of concentrating solar collectors replaces the conventional steam boiler. In hybrid plants, a conventional boiler is also present, operating on conventional fuel, usually natural gas, whenever there is a need. Therefore, the thermal analysis of solar power plants is…

As was seen in Chapter 3, Section 3.2.3, dish systems use dish-shaped parabolic mirrors as reflectors to concentrate and focus the sun’s rays onto a receiver, which is mounted above the dish at the dish focal point. The receiver absorbs the energy and converts it into thermal energy. This can be used directly as heat or…

As was explained in Chapter 3, Section 3.2.4, power towers or central receiver systems use thousands of individual sun-tracking mirrors, called heliostats, to reflect solar energy onto a receiver located atop a tall tower. The receiver collects the sun’s heat in a heat transfer fluid (molten salt) that flows through the receiver. This is then passed optionally…

Details of this type of collector are given in Chapter 3, Section 3.2.1. As was seen in Chapter 3, parabolic trough collectors are the most mature solar technology to generate heat at temperatures up to 400 °C for solar thermal electricity generation or process heat applications. The biggest application of this type of system is the nine southern…