Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky

Introduction to System Engineering

Universidad Católica del Uruguay

ABENGOA MOJAVE SOLAR PLANT

Assignment

Description of Abengoa Mojave Solar Plant

1. Based on the description of your system, describe the overall system concept and
define the system boundaries. The system boundaries will define what items will be
included in your development program.

A solar thermo electric plant consists in thousands of mirrors used to concentrate energy from
the sun onto a receiver which is used to heat a transfer fluid to drive a steam turbine that
generates electricity.
The thermo electric solar plant is a complex system composed by several subsystems: heat
transfer system, expansion system (steam turbine generator), heat rejection system
(condenser), compression system (water pump), control system and collector network.

The heat transfer system uses a parabolic trough design to collect the sun's radiation. The
parabolic trough collector consists of parabolic-shaped mirrors located on a structure so they
can track the movement of the sun and concentrate solar radiation onto a receiving tube
which contains a heat-absorbing fluid.
A computer within the control system calculates the ideal position for each of these, and a
motor drive moves them into the sun. The system must be very precise in order to ensure
that sunlight is really focused on metal absorber tube.
Because of mirrors’ shape, this type of plant can reach operating temperatures of about 400
degrees C, concentrating the sun's rays at 30 to 100 times their normal intensity onto heat-
transfer-fluid or water/steam filled pipes. The hot fluid is used to produce steam, and the
steam then spins a turbine that powers a generator to make electricity.
After the steam is used to drive the steam turbine, it is condensed back to water and returned
into the water holding tank, where it will flow back to the steam generator when needed

The Mojave Solar project is a 280 MW utility-scale solar thermo electric plant located near
Barstow, California.
Characteristics of Abengoa Mojavé Thermo electric Solar System:

 280 MW parabolic trough plant

 Produce enough energy to serve 91,000 households, eliminating the emission of
more than 223,500 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.
 Solar field covers: nearly 2 square miles with 2,200 mirrored parabolic trough
collectors and 1.5 million square meters of reflective area.
 The steam generation process it is 100% renewable with zero harmful emissions or
waste.
 Integrates a thermal storage system to allow the power to be dispatched, thus
continuing plant operation under cloud cover or at night, for up to six hours.
 The project includes an electrical substation to distribute electricity generated to
customers.

The boundaries of this system are the parabolic-shaped mirrors which concentrate solar
radiation and the electrical cabling from the electrical substation that connects to the local grid
that distributes electricity to homes and industries. In fact the project does not include the
electricity distribution to customers.
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

2. List the capabilities of your system that were not available on previous systems.
Identify the advanced technologies that made these new capabilities possible.

System is more efficient and cost effective: Mojave uses a new parabolic trough technology
that is more efficient and cost effective than fresnel reflector power plants, tower power
plants with heliostats, or solar dishes.
In addition to this, this project includes new technology that integrates a thermal storage
system to allow the power to be dispatched, thus continuing plant operation under cloud
cover or at night, for up to six hours.
The sun's energy potential is almost unlimited, so this system has a distinct advantage over
other kind of power plants like Fuel Power Plant, Wind Farm.

Minimize environmental impacts: The steam generation process is identical to the process
used in conventional gas, coal, or nuclear power plants, except that it is 100% renewable with
zero harmful emissions or waste.

3. Show the Life Cycle Model you plan to use for the development. Describe why you
chose it and how it fits with the type of system you are developing.

First of all it is important to define the system concept, including concept operation, its
functional characteristics and performance requirements such as amount of electricity that
should be able to produce the thermo electric solar plant as a whole. After all system
requirements are established, you go onto High-Level Design which includes defining the
number of parabolic-shaped mirrors that are going to be installed, where, which height they
are going to be built, where is going to be installed the expansion system (steam turbine
generator), the heat rejection system (condenser), compression system (water pump) and the
control system. In these phase all other considerations that need to be taken into account in
the high-level design of the Thermal Electric Solar Plant.
Once this stage is accomplished, the system is subdivided in sub-systems and each of them is
design according to the specifications (detailed design). An example of this could be the
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

detailed design of components inside the solar collector system such as the heliostats, control
sensors, the condenser, the pipes, the water pump, the steam turbine generator.
After all detailed design is done for the whole system, follows the Implementation Stage,
where all components, equipment are developed and installed. Not only hardware but also
software is developed, in this case, the control software need to be programmed.

In all steps on the right side of the “V” you need to create documentation to support the
system installation, testing, operation and maintenance that is vital to the engineers and
operators of the Thermal electric solar plant.
Unit testing are necessary to check that components and equipment meet the requirement
and that work properly according to specifications limits. Then it is important to make
subsystem verification with the objective to guarantee that high-level design meets the initial
requirements and that was all installed correctly, that subsystems integrated would work
properly.
After these, we have the System Verification and Deployment Stage and System Validation
Stage, both of them are essential to assure an adequate operation of the thermal electric solar
plant and make sure that the system meets the requirements and fulfills its operational
function. In particular, these phases are to verify that the whole system was correctly designed
and that will be able to produce the electric energy that was dimensioned for.
Finally the Thermal electric Solar Plant starts its operation and generates the electricity that
would be supplied to homes, industries and community.

Of course, this does not end here, to assure a proper operation of the Thermal electric Solar
Plant not only an operator is need to monitor the control data from sensors but also
maintenance is critical to reduce risk and to avoid a decrease in the performance.

A thermal electric Solar Plant has approximately 25 years of life-time.

At the end of life of a thermal electric Solar Plant there are two simple choices: remove it
completely and generate energy in another way (decommissioning) or replace it with another
modern wind farm. In both cases the blades, nacelle and towers will be dismantled and loaded
onto trucks for removal from site. For the most part the wind turbine components can be
reused or recycled.
In case that the wind farm site is not to be used as a wind farm again, the cables and tracks
would generally be left in place because of the disruption it would cause to the wind farm host.
If the wind farm site is to be reused then the foundations may be to be left in place (only if
they are suitable for the new wind turbines) and the wind generators would be replaced with
modern equipment.

4. Create a hierarchical diagram that partitions your system and identifies all of the major
subsystems and at least one key component in each subsystem.
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

Abengoa Movaje Thermo Electric Solar Plant

Thermo Electric
Solar Plant

Heat Transfer Expansion Heat Rejection Compression Control Electrical

system System System System System Substation

Parabolic trough Steam Turbine Condenser Water Pump Sensors Switchyard

Collector Generator Computers Electrical cables

Parabolic- Stator Valves Sensors

Fluid pipes Computer
shaped mirrors Rotors Hydraulic Motor
Absorber Tube Casings, Valves Impeller screen Circuit Breaker
Field Piping Steam Pipes Impeller Eye
Bearings Suction
Volute
Contacts
Track Device Protective relay
Stator, Rotors
Optical Tube Support Plates Electronic Steel Wire
Casings, Valves
Selective Coat Tubsheets Cooler circuitry
Steam Pipes
Evacuated Water Inlet/Outlet LCD Display
Bearings
Glass Tube Body Valve.
Steam Inlet
Stem, Disc
Condensate Outlet
Hotwell
Inlet/Outlet Waterbox

Condenser
Fluid tanks
High-pressure liquid storage tanks

5. Draw a Context Diagram (or construct a list) of all of the external entities and external
interactions that must be considered in developing this system. Use the 8 item
checklist we covered in class to check for completeness.

1. Context Diagram
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

Operator/Engineer
Monitor plant operation:
Data from sensors, pressure,
temperature of fluids, measure
the levels of electrical power Set Parameters (pressure,
generation and other variables. temperature, valve
Emergency Alarm Electrical Grid
opening-closure)
Solar Energy
Input Electricity

To install the plant Weather: rain,

and 2,200 mirrored winds
parabolic trough Heat
Thermal Environment
collectors
Extensive area Electric
Wastes
Solar Plant

Fix Equipments and components

Periodic maintenance
Short circuit or system failure electric
risks Safety Requirements
Control and
Diagnostic Data Fire hazard
Maintainer Emergency Alarm High temperature and pressure
Hot materials

Energy
Data
Activities
Material
Signals

6. List and describe the specific life cycle needs of your system. Use the list of the 8
Primary Life Cycle Functions that was discussed in class. (Capítulo 5)

The Primary Life Cycle Needs or Functions are characteristic actions associated with
the system life cycle.
The 8 Primary Life Cycle Functions are:
1. Development – includes activities required to evolve the system from customer
needs to product or process solutions. Includes the needs analysis, the concept
exploration and definition of the system. In this life cycle functions the system
engineer has to understand the need of generating electrical energy in order to
supply homes, industries and communities, evaluate the alternatives, make a
trade-off analysis and decide why the development of a thermal electric solar
plant is important and analyze its benefits among other alternatives. In this
phase systems concept and specifications are defined and business plans are
made.
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

2. Manufacturing/Production/Construction – includes the fabrication of

engineering test models, low rate initial production, full rate production, or
construction of large or unique systems or subsystems.
Involves the design of each components of subsystem, the validation of
designs, the integration of components within the subsystems and the
construction of the whole Thermal Electric Solar Plant.
3. Deployment (Fielding) – includes the activities to initially deliver, transport,
receive, process, assemble, install, checkout, train, operate, house, store, or
field the system to achieve full operational capability.
Once the construction of the system is achieved, initial test should be done to
validate the integration, and test system performance before starting normal
operation.
4. Operation – is the user function and includes activities necessary to satisfy
defined operational objectives and tasks in peacetime and wartime
environments.
Involves the normal operation of the plant, monitoring that the system works
as expected, monitoring the performance of energy generation in order to
assure a cost-effective generation and that electric energy would be supplied
appropriately
5. Support – includes the activities necessary to provide operations support,
maintenance, logistics, and material management.
It’s very important to have periodic maintenance so as to reduce possible risks.
In addition to this is vital to have sensors in turbine generator, condenser and
water pump so as the system control could provide information about the
performance of the equipment and eventually inform about critical functioning
by alerts.
6. Disposal – includes the activities necessary to ensure that the disposal of
decommissioned, destroyed, or irreparable system components meets all
applicable regulations and directives.
7. Training – includes the activities necessary to achieve and maintain knowledge
and skill levels necessary to efficiently and effectively perform operations and
support functions.
It’s essential to train technical engineers, electric engineers, and technical
operators so as they can perform operations and support functions in an
efficient and effective way.
8. Verification – includes the activities necessary to evaluate progress and
effectiveness of evolving system products and processes, and to measure
specification compliance
Includes the test to evaluate performance and power level generation.

7. Identify what you believe will be the top 5 System Development risks in your program
(cost and schedule are not considered technical risks for this exercise).
The top 5 risks in the system development of the Thermal electric solar plant are:
Technology: Unproven Technology of Hardware software simulation (turbine, condensador),
high temperature, pressure
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

Design: heliostats turbine

Training: risk when training people to learn how to operate new equipment
Environmental Risk:
Carbon Loss Due to Installation of Solar Thermal Power Plants
Some solar projects require chemical spraying to inhibit vegetation growth that prevents solar
panels from optimal performance.
Furthermore, impacts will occur on water supplies and resources, as water is piped from
limited aquatic systems; desert flora and fauna, some of which may have declining
populations; and nearby human communities.
CSP plants may use molten salts to store the thermal energy some studies revealed that saline
evaporation ponds formed by solar thermal wastewater impact abundance and size of
invertebrates, the presence of algae, and potentially the amount of avian foraging.
Human Welfare:
Contact with cables of electricity: Fractures and dislocations, injuries, muscle contractions and
seizure, burns, fibrillation, tissue necrosis, respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, death.
Short circuit or system failure electric:
Burns, bruises , intoxication , unconsciousness , asphyxia , death .
Tool handling: wounds, cracks, broken bones, Blows and cuts
objects
Contact with objects or materials hot: Inflammation, infection, destruction cell, burns .

Government regulations: Government can impose the price of the energy( U$S/KW) and if it is
very low we might not be able to cover generation cost.

8. Describe how you will prioritize the System Development risks (technical) and describe
your plans to mitigate each risk?

In order to prioritize the risks the system engineer needs to have a method of qualifying the
risks. To compare the potential importance of different sources of program risk, it is necessary
to consider two components of risk:
 Likelihood of Failure – the probability that a given component will fail to meet its goals
 Criticality of Failure – the resulting impact on the success of the system

Risk Responses –known risks

 Controllable? – deal with causes (prevention)
 Not controllable? – deal with effects (prepare contingency plans)

Common methods for dealing with risks or Risk Handling include:

 Risk Avoidance
o Relief of Excessive Requirements (not mission critical, nice to have)
o Trade off risk for performance or other capability
 Risk Transfer
o Transfer the risk – insurance, contract agreement, subcontract
outsource
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

 Risk Reduction (Control) – deliberate use of the design/development process

to reduce risk to acceptable levels (another application of system engineering
process)
o Fallback Alternatives – parallel developments (Plan “B”)
o Incremental development – preplanned product improvement
o Technology maturation – use of less risky, lower performance substitute
o Special Analysis and testing to validate the technical approach
o Rapid Prototyping
o Modeling and simulation techniques
 Risk Acceptance (and continuous assessment)
o Usually with low level risks
o Intensified technical and/or management reviews
o Oversight by designated component engineering
 Contingency planning

9. List the top three Programmatic risks or risks in Managing the Development that you
might encounter. These can include both internal process risks as well as external
influences.

New Technology
Design risk
Subsystem integration

10. Today’s system domain faces include not only the traditional system domain faces of
engineering, technology, and management but also social, political/legal, and human
domains. Describe the issues that might be raised with your system in these new
contemporary domains.

You could have political issues if the government decide to changes laws and limit the level of
power generation that the thermal electric solar plant is enable to produce.
In addition to this, the government could create regulations to energy generation and taxes
that should be paid due to environmental impact.
As well as this, it is important to consider social pressure, communities could disagree with the
development of the thermal electric solar plant due to the visual impact and environmental
risk.
It is vital to take into consideration the plant operational risks and their consequences to
human welfare. It is important to mitigate the risks as much as possible in order to avoid a
disaster that could be harmful to personnel.

11. Identify specifically (by discipline and title) who you would select as the top 10
members of your System Design Team. This should include technical specialists,
specialty engineering, as well as technical representatives from co-developers and key
subcontractors.

System Design Team

1) System Engineer, discipline: System engineering
2) Electrical Engineer, discipline: Electrical Engineering
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

3) Industrial Engineer, discipline: Industrial Engineering

4) Civil Engineer, discipline: Civil Engineering
5) Software discipline , discipline: Software engineering
6) Test engineer , discipline: Test Engineering
7) Technological specialist, discipline: Technology Development
8) Proyect Manager, discipline: Proyect managing
9) Quality engineer, discipline: Quality Engineering
10) Equipment providers

12. Describe the technical area(s) where you think your most difficult interface
management tasks will occur?

The most difficult interface management is the fluid pipes that connect the heliostats with the steam
turbine generator. In this interface it is important to consider liquid temperature, pressure, opening and
closing of valves, so as the steam could flow to the turbine generator in a proper way. It is also crucial to
avoid pipe to break.
The technical area that is in charge of this interface is industrial engineering.

» Technology: Hardware software simulation (turbine, condensador), high temperature,

pressure..
development of advanced heat transfer fluids that operate at a higher
temperature than the present fluids, greatly increasing the efficiency of the cycle.
This development is linked to the development of some key technology
components, such as collectors.
» Design: turbine
» Human welfare: Fire risk, risk of short circuit or electric system failure, risk of injuries in tool
handling, in contact with objects or hot material, in contact with cables of electricity.
» Regulatory requirements: Government can impose the price of the energy ( U$S/KW) and if it
is very low we might not be able to cover inversion and generation cost.
» Environmental Risk:
˃ Some solar projects require chemical spraying to inhibit vegetation growth that
prevents solar panels from optimal performance.
˃ Furthermore, impacts will occur on water supplies and resources, as water is piped
from limited aquatic systems; desert flora and fauna, some of which may have
declining populations; and nearby human communities.
CSP plants may use molten salts to store the thermal energy some studies revealed that saline
evaporation ponds formed by solar thermal wastewater impact abundance and size of invertebrates,
the presence of algae, and potentially the amount of avian foraging

» Political Domain: You could have political issues if the government decide to changes laws
and limit the level of power generation that the thermal electric solar plant is enable to
produce. In addition to this, the government could create regulations to energy generation
and taxes that should be paid due to environmental impact.
» Social Domain: It is important to consider social pressure, communities could disagree with
the development of the thermal electric solar plant due to the visual impact and
environmental risk.
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

» Human Domain: It is vital to take into consideration the plant operational risks and their
consequences to human welfare. It is important to mitigate the risks as much as possible in
order to avoid a disaster that could be harmful to personnel.

» Development: Includes the needs analysis, the concept exploration and definition of the
system. In this life cycle functions the system engineer has to understand the need of
generating electrical energy in order to supply homes, industries and communities, evaluate
the alternatives, make a trade-off analysis and decide why the development of a thermal
electric solar plant is important and analyze its benefits among other alternatives. In this
phase systems concept and specifications are defined and business plans are made.
» Manufacturing/Production/Construction: Involves the design of each components of
subsystem, the validation of designs, integration of components within the subsystems and
the construction of the whole Thermal Electric Solar Plant.
» Deployment (Fielding): Once the construction of the system is achieved, initial test should be
done to validate the integration, and test system performance before starting normal
operation.
» Operation: Involves the normal operation of the plant, monitoring that the system works as
expected, monitoring the performance of energy generation in order to assure a cost-
effective generation and that electric energy would be supplied appropriately
» Support: It’s very important to have periodic maintenance so as to reduce possible risks. In
addition to this is vital to have sensors in turbine generator, condenser and water pump so as
the system control could provide information about the performance of the equipment and
eventually inform about critical functioning by alerts.
» Disposal: decommissioning and site reclamation phase include facility removal,
breaking up of concrete pads and foundations, removal of access roads that are
not maintained for other uses, recontouring the surface, and revegetation
http://teeic.indianaffairs.gov/er/solar/impact/decom/index.htm
» Emissions from decommissioning activities include vehicle tailpipe emissions;
diesel emissions from large construction equipment and generators; and fugitive
dust from many sources such as land clearing, structure removal, backfilling,
dumping, restoration of disturbed areas (grading, seeding, planting), and truck
and equipment traffic. Permitting would be required (as during construction),
and therefore these emissions would not likely exceed air quality standards or
impact climate change.
»
»
» Training: It’s essential to train technical engineers, electric engineers, and technical operators
so as they can perform operations and support functions in an efficient and effective way.
» Verification: Includes the test to evaluate performance and power level generation.
»

Industrial wastes are generated during routine operations (dielectric fluids, cleaning
agents, and solvents). These wastes typically would be put in containers, characterized
and labeled, possibly stored briefly, and transported by a licensed hauler to an
appropriate permitted off-site disposal facility as a standard practice.

Concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies (parabolic trough and power tower) may
also generate substantial amounts of heat transfer fluids (HTFs) and industrial solid
wastes, such as lubricating oils, compressor oils, and hydraulic fluids.

Impacts could result if these wastes were not properly handled and were released to the
environment.
 Álvaro Castro - Tatiana Skorubsky
Introduction to System Engineering
Universidad Católica del Uruguay

http://teeic.indianaffairs.gov/er/solar/impact/op/index.htm
http://teeic.indianaffairs.gov/er/solar/activities/act/index.htm

Environmental Risk:
˃ Chemical spraying to inhibit vegetation growth
˃ Impacts on water supplies and resources
˃ Saline evaporation due to the use of molten salts to store the thermal energy
generates environmental impact
˃ Risks Prioritization:
˃ Technology Likely, unacceptable technical consequences, additional activities required to
meet schedules
˃ Design Likely, unacceptable technical impact, project critical path affected, increase costs
˃ Training  Low likelihood, unacceptable technical consequences.
˃ Integration  Likely, unacceptable technical consequences, no alternatives, increase costs,
not able to achieve project milestones
˃ Operation Low likelihood, unacceptable technical consequences, increase costs

» Development: The system engineer has to understand the need of generating electrical
energy, make a trade-off analysis and decide why the development of a thermal electric solar
plant is important and analyze its benefits among other alternatives.
» Manufacturing/Production/Construction: Involves the design of each components of
subsystem, the validation of designs, integration of components within the subsystems and
the construction of the whole Thermal Electric Solar Plant.
» Deployment (Fielding): Once the construction of the system is achieved, initial test should be
done to validate the integration, and test system performance before starting normal
operation.
» Operation: Normal operation of the plant, monitoring that the system works as expected,
monitoring the performance of energy generation in order to assure a cost-effective
generation and that electric energy would be supplied appropriately
» Support: Periodic maintenance so as to reduce possible risks. Need of sensors in turbine
generator, condenser and water pump so as the system control could provide information
about the performance of the equipment and eventually inform about critical functioning by
alerts.
» Disposal: Life-time 25 years. Decommisioning activities include facility removal, breaking up
of concrete pads and foundations, removal of access roads that are not maintained for other
uses, recontouring the surface, and revegetation.
» Training: Train technical engineers, electric engineers, and technical operators so as they can
perform operations and support functions in an efficient and effective way and within safety
requirements
» Verification: Includes the test to evaluate performance and power level generation.