Solar 2 - Solar Power Plants

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi
MJ2411: Renewable Energy Technology Concentrated Solar Power
MJ2411: Renewable Energy Technology
Solar Power Technologies

Concentrated Solar Power
James D. Spelling, KTH-EGI
james.spelling@energy.kth.se

Solar Thermal Power

A solar thermal system is any process which harnesses solar
radiation as a power source through the conversion of the incident
solar flux to useful heat
Solar thermal power systems can be divided into two types, based on
the level of temperature at which the heat is to be delivered
Non-Concentrating
Concentrating
Harnesses the Incoming Flux Directly
Concentrates the Incoming Flux
Low Temperature (<120C)
Higher Temperatures (120 3000C)
06/09/2012
James Spelling

Concentrating Solar Power

Concentrating solar power systems generate a high-temperature
heat source, which can be used to drive a conventional power plant
Thermal energy can be easily stored in large quantities, allowing
solar thermal plants to be dispatchable
06/09/2012
James Spelling

Early Attempts at Solar Power

First demonstration of concentrated solar power in 1878 by Augustin
Bernard Mouchot at the Universal Exhibition in Paris
"Eventually industry will no longer find in Europe the resources to
satisfy its prodigious expansion... coal will undoubtedly be used up.
What will industry do then? - Augustin Mouchot, 1876
Image Source: Wikipedia, 2012

06/09/2012
Output: 140 kg/min of saturated steam

James Spelling

Early Attempts at Solar Power

First power producing solar thermal power plant was built in Egypt in
1913, using parabolic trough technology
First patent deposited in 1907

Steam production to drive a 40 kW
reciprocating steam engine
Payback time of 2 years against coal
from England at 13 $/ton
One thing I feel so sure about, and that

is either the human race must finally
utilize direct sun power or revert to
barbarism -Frank Shuman, 1914
Image Source: Wikipedia, 2012
06/09/2012
James Spelling

Solar Thermal Power Technologies

Part I: Solar Concentration Systems
06/09/2012
James Spelling

Why Concentrate?
Concentration increases the density of the radiant energy flux,
allowing more power to be absorbed for a given surface area
Increased concentration means lowers areas for heat loss, allowing
effective receiver operation at higher temperatures
In a concentrating system two surfaces are defined:
The solar collector intercepts the incident solar
radiation, concentrates and redirects it
Ib,a
Collector design fixes the aperture area Aa

The receiver: intercepts the concentrated
radiation and converts it to high temperature heat
Receiver design fixes the receiver area Ar
Image Source: J. Spelling, 2011

06/09/2012
James Spelling

Why Concentrate?
Increased concentration means lowers areas for radiative heat loss,
allowing effective receiver operation at higher temperatures
Ib,a
Only beam radiation can be harnessed by

the solar collector, as the focusing system
requires that incident rays have a clearlydefined direction
Ib,a: Beam irradiation at the aperture
Ir(x): Flux distribution at the receiver

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James Spelling

Concentration Ratio
The key parameter that determines the level of temperature that can
be reached is the solar concentration ratio
Two different definitions exist:
Ib,a
Geometric Concentration Ratio:

A simple ratio of receiver area to
aperture area
CRg =
Optical Concentration Ratio: CRo =

A more accurate value based on
the intercepted solar flux
1
Ar
Aa
Ar
I A
r
I b ,a

06/09/2012
James Spelling

Concentration Ratio
The key parameter that determines the level of temperature that can
be reached is the solar concentration ratio
Two different definitions exist:
Geometric Concentration Ratio: CRg
Optical Concentration Ratio: CRo
Ib,a
Linked by the optical efficiency of the collector:
CRo = opt CRg

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James Spelling
10

Concentration Technologies
Currently four key solar thermal power technologies:
06/09/2012
Parabolic Trough
Central Receiver
Linear Fresnel
Parabolic Dish
James Spelling
11

Key Solar Technologies

Each solar collector technology has its own specific range of
practicably achievable concentration ratios
As such, each technology is adapted to one or more types of
temperature range and thus power generation cycles
Concentration
Tracking
Focal Spot Temperatures
Scale
Linear Fresnel
15 60
One-Axis
Line
< 500C
unlimited
Parabolic Trough
30 - 100
One-Axis
Line
< 600C
unlimited
Heliostat Field
500 - 1000
Two-Axis
Point
< 1200C
< 360 MWth
Parabolic Dish
1000 - 10000
Two-Axis
Point
< 750C
< 100 kWth
Data Source: C. Philibert, 2005
Other technologies do exist, but are significantly less developed

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James Spelling
12

Line Focusing Systems

Line focusing systems employ single-axis tracking and reach medium
temperatures (typically between 120C and 600C)
They can be used for both power production as well as hightemperature process heat in industrial applications
Parabolic Trough Concentrators
Linear Fresnel Concentrators
Image Source: RISE Information Portal, 2004

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James Spelling
13

Line Focusing Systems

Line focusing systems employ single-axis tracking and reach medium
They can be used for both power production as well as hightemperature process heat in industrial applications
Parabolic Trough Concentrators
Linear Fresnel Concentrators
Fully parabolic in one axis to provide

high optical efficiency
Parabolic shape requires complex
molding increasing cost
Large mirror surface results in high
wind loading, thus stronger structures
06/09/2012
A number of linear mirrors approximate

parabolic concentration resulting in
lower optical efficiencies
Planar mirrors are simple and cheap to
manufacture
Gaps between mirrors, coupled with a
lower centre of gravity result in lower
loading and lighter structures
James Spelling
14

Point Focusing Systems

Point focusing systems employ dual-axis tracking and can reach high
They are used mainly for power production, as well as solar chemistry
and high-temperature materials testing
Heliostat Field Concentrators
Parabolic Dish Concentrators
Image Source: RISE Information Portal, 2004

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James Spelling
15

Point Focusing Systems

Point focusing systems employ dual-axis tracking and can reach high
temperatures (between 600C and 2000C)
They are used mainly for power production, as well as solar chemistry
and high-temperature materials testing
Heliostat Field Concentrators
Parabolic Dish Concentrators
Many planar mirrors focus to a small

receiver area, approximating full 3D
concentration
Large number of mirrors can be focused
to one receiver, allowing multi-MW
systems to be designed
Planar mirrors are cheap to massproduce
Central power system benefits from
economies of scale
True parabolic shape gives 3D

concentration at high concentration
ratios and high efficiencies
Power output limited to ~25 kWe by
maximum dish diameter of ~15m due to
optical precision and support
Parabolic dish is a complex 3D geometry
which is expensive to manufacture
Dishes can be deployed modularly to
increase the power output
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James Spelling
16

Energy Balance at the Receiver

The energy balance at the receiver can be established as function of
the operating temperature of the receiver
At higher temperatures the key losses will be by radiation from the
surface of the receiver
The useful energy extracted is function of the temperature, the
concentration ratio, the incident flux and some material properties:
4
Q use = ArI r Ar Tsurf
Ta4
4
Q use = Ar CRo I b ,a Tsurf
Ta4
r
06/09/2012
:
surface absorptivity [-]
:
surface emissivity [-]
: Stephan-Boltzmann constant
Tsurf: surface temperature [K]
Ar: receiver surface area [m2]
James Spelling
17
))

Maximum Temperature
The maximum temperature that can be reached is when the useful
energy extracted from the receiver is equal to zero
The incident solar flux is totally dissipated by the radiation losses
From the energy balance equation this gives:
4
Ta4 = 0
Q use = ArCRo I b ,a Ar Tsurf
Re-arranging, Tmax can be found:
Tmax
CRg
= T + opt
I b,a

4
4
a

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James Spelling
18

Example 1: Temperature
What is the maximum operating temperature for
a parabolic trough collector with a concentration
ratio of 120 at standard conditions?
Ta = 25C, AM = 1.5 (i.e. 850 W/m2)
The optical efficiency of the trough is 90%, and
the absorber is non-selective.
Tmax
opt:
:
:
CRg:
:
Ib,a :
CRg
= T + opt
I b,a

4
4
a
optical efficiency
receiver absorptivity
receiver emissivity
concentration ratio
Stefan-Boltzmann cst.
beam irradiation
N.B = 5.67e-8
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James Spelling
19

Example 1: Temperature
What is the maximum operating temperature for
a parabolic trough collector with a concentration
ratio of 120 at standard conditions?
Ta = 25C, AM = 1.5 (i.e. 850 W/m2)
The optical efficiency of the trough is 90%, and
the absorber is non-selective.
Tmax
opt:
:
:
CRg:
:
Ib,a :
CRg
= T + opt
I b,a

4
4
a
optical efficiency
receiver emissivity
concentration ratio
beam irradiation
Tmax = 1129 K = 856C
N.B = 5.67e-8
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James Spelling
20

Collector Efficiency
The efficiency of the solar collector is the ratio of energy input to
useful heat output:
sol
4
4
Q use Ar CRo I b ,a Tsurf Ta
= =
Qsol
Aa I b ,a
))
sol = opt
4
(Tsurf
Ta4 )
CRg I b ,a
At a given temperature, efficiency can be increased by:

Increasing the concentration ratio
Increasing the absorptivity of the receiver
Reducing the emissivity of the receiver
Increasing the optical efficiency of the collector
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James Spelling
21

Example 2: Efficiency
What concentration ratio is needed to operate a
solar collector at 500C with 75% efficiency
under nominal conditions:
Ta = 25C, AM = 1.5 (i.e. 850 W/m2)
The optical efficiency is 90%, and the absorber
can be considered as a black-body.
sol = opt
opt:
:
:
CRg:
:
Ib,a :
4
(Trec
Ta4 )
CRg I b ,a
optical efficiency
receiver emissivity
concentration ratio
beam irradiation
N.B = 5.67e-8
06/09/2012
James Spelling
22

Example 2: Efficiency
What concentration ratio is needed to operate a
solar collector at 500C with 75% efficiency
under nominal conditions:
Ta = 25C, AM = 1.5 (i.e. 850 W/m2)
The optical efficiency is 90%, and the absorber
can be considered as a black-body.
4
Ta4 )
(Trec
CRg =
( sol opt )I b,a
sol = opt
opt:
:
:
CRg:
:
Ib,a :
4
(Trec
Ta4 )
CRg I b ,a
optical efficiency
receiver emissivity
concentration ratio
beam irradiation
==1
CRg = 159
N.B = 5.67e-8
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James Spelling
23

Collector Efficiency
The strongest parameter influencing the efficiency of the solar collector
is the concentration ratio of the system
sol = opt
4
(Trec
Ta4 )
CRg I b ,a
Example Graph has following data:

Ib,a = 850 W/m2, nopt = 0.9, ==1.00

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James Spelling
24

Power Cycle Efficiency

Receiver efficiency decreases at higher temperatures
However, the efficiency of the power conversion equipment increases
with temperature, with the limit set by the Carnot efficiency:
car ,rec = rec = 1
Ta
Trec
Trade-off -> optimum?

Ib,a = 850 W/m2, nopt = 0.9, ==1.00

06/09/2012
James Spelling
25

System Efficiency
Can combined the efficiencies to get the system efficiency:
sys = sol rec
4
4
T
T
rec
a
= opt
CRg I b ,a
) 1 T
Trec
a
For each concentration ratio

there exists an optimum
operating temperature

Ib,a = 850 W/m2, nopt = 0.9, ==1.00

06/09/2012
James Spelling
26

Power Generation Cycles

The choice of which power generation cycle to use is closely linked to
the level of temperature that is achieved
Three main cycle types are considered: Rankine, Stirling and Brayton

Ib,a = 850 W/m2, nopt = 0.9, ==1.00

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27

Solar Power Technologies

Part II: Solar Thermal Power Plants
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28

SEGS Power Plants

First modern solar thermal power plants, the Solar Energy
Generating Systems (or SEGS) were built in California in the 1980s
Initial built to hedge against high oil/gas prices after the oil crises of
the 1970s
Mirror Washing
Parabolic Troughs
SEGS 3-7, Kramer Jct.
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James Spelling
29

SEGS Power Plants

First modern solar thermal power plants, the Solar Energy
Generating Systems (or SEGS) were built in California in the 1980s
Initial built to hedge against high oil/gas prices after the oil crises of
the 1970s
A total of 354 MW of capacity was installed over a period of 6 years
Output
Collector Field
Storage
Temperature
Oil Type
Location
Completed
SEGS 1
14 MWe
82960 m2
3h
307C
Mineral
Daggett
1984
SEGS 2
30 MWe
165380 m2
316C
Mineral
Daggett
1985
SEGS 3, 4, 5
30 MWe
230300 m2
349C
Synthetic
Kramer Jct.
1986, 86, 87
SEGS 6, 7
30 MWe
191140 m2
391C
Synthetic
Kramer Jct.
1988, 88
SEGS 8, 9
80 MWe
474160 m2
391C
Synthetic
Harper Lake
1989, 90
Data Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2004
06/09/2012
James Spelling
30

Recent CSP Deployment

Solar thermal power development began in the 1980s with the SEGS
A new solar renaissance started in 2006 with new power plants
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James Spelling
31

Spanish Solar Renaissance

In 2004 a royal decree equalized conditions for CSP and PV plants
Feed-in tariffs for solar energy were guaranteed, removing some
economic barriers to the deployment of solar thermal technology
By early 2012, over 1000 MW of solar

thermal power had been deployed
Another 1200 MW are currently under
construction
Over 90% of all CSP plants built are of

the parabolic trough type
Image Source: Protermosolar, 2011

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32

Commercial Solar Plants

Commercial solar thermal power plants in Spain:
Andasol 1, 2 & 3
PS 10 & 20
Puerto Errado II
Solnova 1, 2 & 4
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James Spelling
33

Parabolic Trough Plants

Over 90% of all installed solar thermal power plants are based
around the use of parabolic troughs with Rankine-cycles
The technology was well-proven, making it easier to obtain funding
when the second wave of CSP construction started
Continuous operation of the SEGS plants since 1984
However, limited innovation in commercial plants
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James Spelling
34

Types of Trough Plants

Two main types of parabolic trough plant have emerged:
SEGS-type: daytime-peaking, no storage
Andasol-type: dayload and evening peak, with storage
Power-plants based around standard steam-cycle technology
Compatible temperature levels between
solar collector and power block
Lower risk: well understood technology
Plant design strongly affect by local regulation
and incentive measures:
USA: loan guarantees and tax credits
Spain: limited to 50MW power block
limited to 13% fossil co-firing
06/09/2012
James Spelling
35

SEGS-Type Power Plant

Designed primarily to meet midday peak electricity demands
Reheat steam cycle used to allow higher cycle efficiency at the low
steam temperatures
Operating temperatures limited by heat transfer fluid
Thermal Oil HTF-System
Medium: Therminol-72
Thermal Stability: 400C
Power Block
Reheat Rankine-cycle
Steam Temperature: 390C
Steam Pressure: 100 bar
06/09/2012
James Spelling
36

Andasol-Type Power Plant

Designed to meet two daily peaks, midday and early evening
Thermal energy storage tanks used to harness extra energy during
daily hours, allowing production to be extended in the evening
Larger solar field required to charge storage tanks
Molten-Salt Storage
Medium: NaNO3-KNO3
Thermal Stability: 580C
Power Block
Reheat Rankine-cycle
Steam Temperature: 390C
Steam Pressure: 100 bar
06/09/2012
James Spelling
37

Molten-Salt Storage System

Thermal energy storage based on molten salts adds complexity to the
system, as three separate fluid loops are required
Thermal Oil
Molten Salt
Water/Steam
Thermal Oil
Good heat transfer
Low freezing point
No phase-change
Molten Salt
High heat capacity
Pre-available product
Inexpensive
Chemically inert
06/09/2012
James Spelling
38

Molten-Salt Storage System

Thermal energy storage based on molten salts adds complexity to the
system, as three separate fluid loops are required
Complexity is outweighed by reduced cost and increased safety!
Parabolic Troughs
HTF Heaters
SEGS Fire
Original oil-based storage
Damaged in fire
Never replaced
Image Source: L. Hartley, 1999
06/09/2012
James Spelling
39

Parabolic Trough Plants

Over 90% of all installed solar thermal power plants are based
around the use of parabolic troughs with Rankine-cycles
Collector Arrays
HTF Headers
Power Block
Molten Salt
Storage Tanks
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James Spelling
40

Parabolic Trough Collector

A large number of different parabolic collector designs have been
proposed but all share a similar structure
Intermediate Pillar
Absorber Tube
Parabolic Mirror
Flexible Joint
Drive Pillar
Support Structure
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James Spelling
41

Parabolic Trough Collector

A large number of different parabolic collector designs have been
proposed but all share a similar structure
The central drive pillar provides tracking power and control for the
entire solar collector assembly
Tracking device uses a PV-cell sensor to align the shadow created by
the central tub receiver
Parabolic Mirrors
PV Panel
Tube Receiver
06/09/2012
James Spelling
Drive Axis
42

Alternative Trough Collectors

In addition to the conventional single-axis tracked parabolic trough
collectors, more advanced designs have been proposed
MAN Dual-Axis Tracking Collector
Azimuth/elevation tracking
Removes incidence angle losses
Increased power input
Increased cost/complexity did not
compensate for added power
-> Current focus mainly on increasing

aperture and reducing structural cost
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James Spelling
43

Conventional Trough Evolution

There has been a steady evolution in the design of parabolic troughs
for the typical commercial solar thermal power plant
General trends towards increased aperture and length
Reduction in end-losses as well as drives and tracking!
Early LUZ Designs (1980s)
Recent EU/FLABEG Designs (2000s)
LS-1
LS-2
LS-3
Eurotrough
Heliotrough
Ultimate
Trough
Aperture
2.5 m
5m
5.8 m
5.8 m
6.77 m
7.8 m
Unit Length
6.3 m
12m
15 m
12 m
19 m
24 m
SCA Length
50.4 m
48 m
99 m
148.5 m
191 m
242 m
Active Surface
128 m2
235 m2
547 m2
820 m2
1263 m2
1813 m2
06/09/2012
James Spelling
44

Parabolic Trough Receiver

The receiver tube placed at the focal point is a composite tube
structure consisting of different layers
Stainless-steel tube covered with absorptive coating
Glass envelope to reduce heat losses from tubes
Cermet coating: = 0.14, = 0.97 (@400C)

06/09/2012
James Spelling
45

Solar Tower Power Plants

A much wider array of power plant concepts is encountered when
considering solar tower (central receiver) systems
No standard or optimal plant concepts has yet emerged
Competing concepts between technology suppliers
Four main solar tower system concepts:

Direct steam generation (solar boiler concept)
Molten salt tower with direct thermal storage tanks
Volumetric air receiver with packed-bed storage tanks
Pressurised volumetric receiver with hybrid gas-turbines
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James Spelling
46

Solar Tower Concentrator

Solar Receiver
Power Block
Heliostats
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James Spelling
47

Heliostats
A heliostat is a Sun-tracking mirror, mounted on a dual-axis tracking
system, allowing it to be positioned freely and direct the solar flux
A number of issues must be addressed during
design of a heliostat:
High reflectivity
High optical precision
High tracking accuracy
Resistant structure
All of these serve to maintain a high optical
efficiency of the collections system:
opt
06/09/2012
Tmax
Image Source: Southern California Edison Co., 1982

James Spelling
48

Heliostat Designs
Currently, each solar tower power plant has had its own heliostat
design, each with advantages and disadvantages
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James Spelling
49

Trough vs. Tower Collector

Both trough and tower plants typically operate using Rankine steamcycles but differ in a number of key aspects
Parabolic Trough
Central Receiver
Heat Collection
Modular
Centralised
Energy Transfer
Heat via HTF circulation
Light
Max. Size
Almost unlimited
Limited by efficiency
of heliostats furthest
from the tower
Temp. Limited By
Heat transfer fluid
Receiver materials
Both are capable of utility scale but trough plants can be larger
Largest plant under construction: Solana, 280 MWe (trough)
06/09/2012
James Spelling
50

Solar Tower Power Plants

No standard or optimal plant concepts has yet emerged
Competing concepts between technology suppliers
Concept
Power Plants
Size
Receiver Conditions
Storage
Status
Direct Solar Steam
PS 10 &20
eSolar Tower
Ivanpah
11/20 MWe
5 MWe
131 MWe
265C / 40 bar
440C / 60 bar
550C / 165 bar
Steam buffer
N/A
Salt tanks (opt.)
Operational
Operational
Under construction
Molten-Salt Tower
Gemasolar
Tonopah
20 MWe
110 MWe
565C
550C
Salt tanks
Salt tanks
Operational
Planning
Volumetric Air
Jlich Tower
1.5 MWe
680C
Packed-bed
Operational
Pressurised Air
AORA Solar
100 kWe
1000C
N/A (hybrid)
Operational
06/09/2012
James Spelling
51

PS10/20 Solar Tower Plants

The first of the new generation of solar power plants to be built was
the PS10 direct steam solar tower
Low-temperature (265C) saturated-steam receiver demonstrated
Saturated Steam
Power Block
Heliostat
Field
06/09/2012
Receiver
Tower
Steam
Buffer
James Spelling
Turbine Capacity: 11 MWe

Storage Capacity: 0.5 hrs
52

PS10/20 Solar Tower Plants

The first of the new generation of solar power plants to be built was
the PS10 direct steam solar tower
Low-temperature (265C) saturated-steam receiver demonstrated
Steam
Buffer
Heliostat Field
Central
Tower
06/09/2012
Power Block
James Spelling
53

The Ivanpah Solar Complex

The next generation of direct steam solar thermal power is under
development in California by the Brightsource company
The Luz Power Tower (LPT) technology allows production
superheated steam at 550C, efficiently driving steam turbines
of

Storage: optional molten-salt tanks
steam-salt heat exchange
06/09/2012
James Spelling
54

The Ivanpah Solar Complex

The next generation of direct steam solar thermal power is under
development in California by the Brightsource company
When completed in 2013, the Ivanpah complex will total 393 MWe
06/09/2012
James Spelling
55

Gemasolar Power Plant

Molten-salt tower present the possibility to reach significantly higher
steam temperatures than conventional parabolic trough
Compared to direct steam tower, molten-salt technology allows
integration of large-scale thermal energy storage
Salt Storage Tanks

Storage Capacity: 15 hrs
Reheat Steam
Power Block
06/09/2012
James Spelling
56

Gemasolar Power Plant

Molten-salt tower present the possibility to reach significantly higher
steam temperatures than conventional parabolic trough
Heliostat Field
Solar Receiver
Central Tower
Storage Tanks
Power Block
06/09/2012
James Spelling
57

Jlich Solar Tower Plant

Volumetric air technology allows solar heat to be harnessed at even
higher temperatures as air is chemically very stable
Air is a poor heat transfer fluid, so the volumetric concept is used to
overcome this and provide a large surface area for absorption
Packed-bed Storage
Conventional HRSG-Type Boiler
1,5 MWe Turbine

Superheated Steam
06/09/2012
James Spelling
58


higher temperatures as air is chemically very stable
Air has a low thermal energy density so direct storage of air is
uneconomical and cumbersome
Regenerative storage technology allows storage in a second
medium with better thermal properties and later recovered
06/09/2012
James Spelling
59


higher temperatures
Small plant size allows integration of entire plant into the
central receiver tower -> efficient use of space
Volumetric Receiver
Storage Tank
Power Block
06/09/2012
James Spelling
60

Solar 2 - Solar Power Plants

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Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

MJ2411: Renewable Energy Technology Concentrated Solar Power

MJ2411: Renewable Energy Technology

Solar Power Technologies

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Solar Thermal Power

Harnesses the Incoming Flux Directly

Concentrates the Incoming Flux

Low Temperature (<120C)

Higher Temperatures (120 3000C)

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Concentrating Solar Power

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Early Attempts at Solar Power

Image Source: Wikipedia, 2012

Output: 140 kg/min of saturated steam

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Early Attempts at Solar Power

First patent deposited in 1907

One thing I feel so sure about, and that

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Solar Thermal Power Technologies

Concentrated Solar Power

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Collector design fixes the aperture area Aa

Image Source: J. Spelling, 2011

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Only beam radiation can be harnessed by

Image Source: J. Spelling, 2011

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Geometric Concentration Ratio:

Optical Concentration Ratio: CRo =

Image Source: J. Spelling, 2011

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Linked by the optical efficiency of the collector:

CRo = opt CRg

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Key Solar Technologies

Focal Spot Temperatures

< 360 MWth

< 100 kWth

Data Source: C. Philibert, 2005

Other technologies do exist, but are significantly less developed

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Line Focusing Systems

Linear Fresnel Concentrators

Image Source: RISE Information Portal, 2004

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Line Focusing Systems

Linear Fresnel Concentrators

Fully parabolic in one axis to provide

A number of linear mirrors approximate

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Point Focusing Systems

Parabolic Dish Concentrators

Image Source: RISE Information Portal, 2004

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Point Focusing Systems

Parabolic Dish Concentrators

Many planar mirrors focus to a small

True parabolic shape gives 3D

Institutionen fr Energiteknik: Kraft och Vrmeteknologi

Energy Balance at the Receiver