Design considerations and construction of an experimental prototype of concentrating solar power tower system in Saudi Arabia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abu-Hamdeh, Nidal H.; Alnefaie, Khaled A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Article is about designing and building a small scale prototype solar power tower system. • Calculations revealed that 10 heliostats are required to direct incident solar rays. • Design requirements showed that a solar tower of 7 m height should be used. • Storage tanks are cylindrical vessels with height of 1 m and a diameter of 1.5 m each. • The percentage error in the thermal power obtained from this system is about 5.3%. - Abstract: A prototype of a solar power tower system was designed and constructed to produce electricity from solar energy. This prototype of a solar power tower system was constructed and installed at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia where solar intensity is excessive. Heliostats were implemented to capture the solar rays during daylight. These mirrors are used to direct the solar energy to a solar receiver that is made of alloy steel so that thermal energy is conveyed to a thermal fluid inside the receiver. Based on a detailed selection procedure presented in this article, a final number of ten heliostats were chosen to direct the solar energy to the solar receiver. In addition; two motors were used to control the heliostat rotational and elevation movements. The thermal fluid is a molten salt mixture (which consists of 60% NaNO_3 and 40% KNO_3). Cold and hot storage tanks were manufactured from steel and they were insulated with calcium silicate from all sides. A one-meter high and one and a half-meter cylindrical vessel was adopted for each of the cold and hot tanks. In this article, a detailed design analysis of each component is presented. The thermal power transferred to the water in the heat exchanger as it is heated by the molten salt was measured and found to be 11.26 kW. The thermal power given by the molten salt in the heat exchanger was also measured and found to be 12.31 kW. The design thermal power was 13 kW. The percentage error in the thermal power obtained is about 5.3%.

Performance modeling and techno-economic analysis of a modular concentrated solar power tower with latent heat storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rea, Jonathan E.; Oshman, Christopher J.; Olsen, Michele L.; Hardin, Corey L.; Glatzmaier, Greg C.; Siegel, Nathan P.; Parilla, Philip A.; Ginley, David S.; Toberer, Eric S.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present performance simulations and techno-economic analysis of a modular dispatchable solar power tower. Using a heliostat field and power block three orders of magnitude smaller than conventional solar power towers, our unique configuration locates thermal storage and a power block directly on a tower receiver. To make the system dispatchable, a valved thermosyphon controls heat flow from a latent heat thermal storage tank to a Stirling engine. The modular design results in minimal balance of system costs and enables high deployment rates with a rapid realization of economies of scale. In this new analysis, we combine performance simulations with techno-economic analysis to evaluate levelized cost of electricity, and find that the system has potential for cost-competitiveness with natural gas peaking plants and alternative dispatchable renewables.

Modeling and characteristics analysis of hybrid cooling-tower-solar-chimney system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou, Zheng; He, Suoying

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A 3-D model for hybrid cooling-tower-solar-chimney system is developed. • The inclusion of heat exchangers into solar chimney boosts the power output. • The huge jump in power output is at the expense of heat dissipation capacity. • The heat exchanger as second heat source has greater impact on system performance. - Abstract: The hybrid cooling-tower-solar-chimney system (HCTSC), combining solar chimney with natural draft dry cooling tower, generates electricity and dissipates waste heat for the coupled geothermal power plant simultaneously. Based on a developed 3-D model, performance comparisons between the HCTSC system, solar chimney and natural draft dry cooling tower were performed in terms of power output of turbine and heat dissipation capacity. Results show that compared to the traditional solar chimney with similar geometric dimensions, HCTSC system can achieve over 20 times increase in the power output of turbine. However, this huge jump in power output is at the expense of heat dissipation capacity, which may lead to the malfunction of the coupled thermal power plant. By increasing the heat transfer area of the heat exchanger, the HCTSC system can manage to recover its heat dissipation capacity

Performance of double source boiler with coal-fired and solar power tower heat for supercritical power generating unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Maolong; Du, Xiaoze; Pang, Liping; Xu, Chao; Yang, Lijun

2016-01-01

An approach of high-efficiency utilization of solar energy was proposed, by which the high concentrated heat received by the solar tower was integrated to the supercritical coal-fired boiler. Two schemes that solar energy was used to heat superheat steam or subcooled feed water were presented. The thermodynamic and heat transfer models were established. For a practical 660 MW supercritical power generating unit, the standard coal consumption of power generation could be decreased by more than 17 g/kWh by such double source boiler. The drawbacks of both schemes were found and then were amended by adding a flue gas bypass to the boiler. It also can be concluded that the maximum solar contribution of two schemes for the gross power generation are 6.11% and 4.90%, respectively. The solar power efficiency of the re-modified designs were demonstrated be superior to that of PS10. In terms of turbine efficiency, the comparisons with Solar Two plant having similar initial temperature found that the efficiency of Scheme I was 5.25% higher than that of Solar Two while the advantage of Scheme II was existing either. Additionally, in two schemes with flue bypass when the medium was extracted, the thermal efficiency of boiler could be improved as well. - Highlights: • High concentrated solar tower heat is integrated to the supercritical coal-fired boiler. • The double source boiler can use solar energy to heat superheat steam or subcooled feed water. • Power generating coal consumption can be reduced by more than 17 g/kWh by the double source boiler. • The solar contribution of double source boiler for the gross power generation can be as high as 6.11%.

Solar thermal power: the seamless solar link to the conventional power world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geyer, Michael; Quaschning, Volker

2000-01-01

This article focuses on solar thermal power generation and describes two solar thermal power concepts, namely, the parabolic trough or solar farm, and the solar central receiver or power tower. Details are given of grid-connected parabolic trough power plants in California and recent developments in collector design and absorber tubes, and the operation of power tower plants with different heat transfer media. Market issues are discussed, and solar thermal power projects under development, and application for support for solar thermal power projects under the Global Environment Facility's Operational Programme by Egypt, India, Iran, Mexico and Morocco are reported

Contribution to the modeling and simulation of solar power tower plants using energy analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benammar, S.; Khellaf, A.; Mohammedi, K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The solar tower power plant system (STPP) is divided into four main subsystems. • The energy balance of each subsystem has been developed. • A general nonlinear mathematical model of the studied system (STPP) has been presented. • Using numerical optimization methods, the nonlinear mathematical model has been solved. • The obtained results are presented and analyzed. - Abstract: In this paper, a mathematical model based on energy analysis, has been developed for modeling and simulation of solar tower power plants (STPP) performances without energy storage. The STPP system has been divided into four main subsystems: the heliostat field subsystem, the cavity receiver subsystem (tower), the steam generation subsystem and the power cycle subsystem (Rankine cycle). Thermal and thermodynamic models of main subsystems have been developed. A general nonlinear mathematical model of the studied system (STPP) has been presented and solved using numerical optimization methods. The obtained results are presented and analyzed. The effects of the receiver surface temperature and the receiver surface area on the cavity receiver efficiency and the steam mass flow have been investigated. The effects of other parameters, such as the incident heat flux, the absorbed energy and the heat losses from the receiver are also studied. The analysis of these results shows the existence of an optimal receiver efficiency value for each steam mass flow, receiver surface temperature and receiver surface area

Energy and exergy analysis of a closed Brayton cycle-based combined cycle for solar power tower plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zare, V.; Hasanzadeh, M.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A novel combined cycle is proposed for solar power tower plants. • The effects of solar subsystem and power cycle parameters are examined. • The proposed combined cycle yields exergy efficiencies of higher than 70%. • For the overall power plant exergy efficiencies of higher than 30% is achievable. - Abstract: Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology offers an interesting potential for future power generation and research on CSP systems of all types, particularly those with central receiver system (CRS) has been attracting a lot of attention recently. Today, these power plants cannot compete with the conventional power generation systems in terms of Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) and if a competitive LCOE is to be reached, employing an efficient thermodynamic power cycle is deemed essential. In the present work, a novel combined cycle is proposed for power generation from solar power towers. The proposed system consists of a closed Brayton cycle, which uses helium as the working fluid, and two organic Rankine cycles which are employed to recover the waste heat of the Brayton cycle. The system is thermodynamically assessed from both the first and second law viewpoints. A parametric study is conducted to examine the effects of key operating parameters (including solar subsystem and power cycle parameters) on the overall power plant performance. The results indicate that exergy efficiencies of higher than 30% are achieved for the overall power plant. Also, according to the results, the power cycle proposed in this work has a better performance than the other investigated Rankine and supercritical CO_2 systems operating under similar conditions, for these types of solar power plants.

Gas cooled solar tower power plant (GAST) KWU approach to a 20 MW hybrid system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayer, Martin

1980-07-01

The gas cooled solar tower powerplant with a hybrid solar-fossil heating system in the form given here represents a significant step towards the industrial use of solar energy. The transition from fossil fuels to solar energy can be facilitated for the power plant operators if the transition is gradual and if conventional technology is used. Using solar energy and with a turbine inlet temperature of 800/sup 0/C the GAST power plant reaches an output of approximately 20 MW and a thermal efficiency of approximately 40% reference to the heat supplied by the receiver. In the absence of solar radiation the plant can be operated exclusively on fossil fuel. Increasing the turbine inlet temperature to 1000/sup 0/C enables an efficiency of about 47% to be reached in the GUD cycle.

Design of SMART waste heat removal dry cooling tower using solar energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yong Jae; Jeong, Yong Hoon

2014-01-01

The 85% of cooling system are once-through cooling system and closed cycle wet cooling system. However, many countries are trying to reduce the power plant water requirement due to the water shortage and water pollution. Dry cooling system is investigated for water saving advantage. There are two dry cooling system which are direct and indirect cooling system. In direct type, turbine exhaust is directly cooled by air-cooled condenser. In indirect system, turbine steam is cooled by recirculating intermediate cooling water loop, then the loop is cooled by air-cooled heat exchanger in cooling tower. In this paper, the purpose is to remove SMART waste heat, 200MW by using newly designed tower. The possibility of enhancing cooling performance by solar energy is analyzed. The simple cooling tower and solar energy cooling tower are presented and two design should meet the purpose of removing SMART waste heat, 200MW. In first design, when tower diameter is 70m, the height of tower should be 360m high. In second design, the chimney height decrease from 360m to 180m as collector radius increase from 100m to 500m due to collector temperature enhancement by solar energy, To analyze solar cooling tower further, consideration of solar energy performance at night should be analyzed

Design of SMART waste heat removal dry cooling tower using solar energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Yong Jae; Jeong, Yong Hoon [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

The 85% of cooling system are once-through cooling system and closed cycle wet cooling system. However, many countries are trying to reduce the power plant water requirement due to the water shortage and water pollution. Dry cooling system is investigated for water saving advantage. There are two dry cooling system which are direct and indirect cooling system. In direct type, turbine exhaust is directly cooled by air-cooled condenser. In indirect system, turbine steam is cooled by recirculating intermediate cooling water loop, then the loop is cooled by air-cooled heat exchanger in cooling tower. In this paper, the purpose is to remove SMART waste heat, 200MW by using newly designed tower. The possibility of enhancing cooling performance by solar energy is analyzed. The simple cooling tower and solar energy cooling tower are presented and two design should meet the purpose of removing SMART waste heat, 200MW. In first design, when tower diameter is 70m, the height of tower should be 360m high. In second design, the chimney height decrease from 360m to 180m as collector radius increase from 100m to 500m due to collector temperature enhancement by solar energy, To analyze solar cooling tower further, consideration of solar energy performance at night should be analyzed.

Optimization design of solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou, Zheng; Guan, Zhiqiang; Gurgenci, Hal

2013-01-01

Highlights: • We proposed a cost model for solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower. • We proposed an optimization scheme for this new cooling system. • We optimally designed one for a 50 MW EGS geothermal plant as a demonstration. • Results proved its economic advantages for EGS geothermal application. - Abstract: This paper proposed an optimization scheme for solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower design, in which a detailed cost model was proposed including capital, labour, maintenance and operation costs of each component. Based on the developed cost model, the optimal design option can be identified in terms of the relatively lower annual cost and the relatively higher total extra income over the Solar Enhanced Natural Draft Dry Cooling Tower (SENDDCT) lifetime. As a case study, a SENDDCT was optimally designed to meet the cooling demand for a 50 MW geothermal power plant with Engineered Geothermal System (EGS) technology. The results showed that the optimized SENDDCT not only has better cooling performance during the daytime but also is a cost effective option for EGS geothermal power plants

Innovative configuration of a hybrid nuclear-solar tower power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popov, Dimityr; Borissova, Ana

2017-01-01

This paper proposes a combination of a nuclear and a CSP plant and performs a thermodynamic analysis of the potential benefit. Most of today's operating nuclear reactor systems are producing saturated steam at relatively low pressure. This, in turn, limits their thermodynamic efficiency. Superheating of nuclear steam with solar thermal energy has the potential to overcome this drawback. Accordingly, an innovative configuration of a hybrid nuclear-CSP plant is assembled and simulated. It brings together pressurized water reactor and solar tower. The solar heat is transferred to nuclear steam to raise its temperature. Continuous superheating is provided through thermal energy storage. The results from design point calculations show that solar superheating has the potential to increase nuclear plant electric efficiency significantly, pushing it to around 37.5%. Solar heat to electricity conversion efficiency reaches unprecedented rates of 56.2%, approaching the effectiveness of the modern combined cycle gas turbine plants. Off-design model was used to simulate 24-h operation for one year by simulating 8760 cases. Due to implementation of thermal energy storage non-stop operation is manageable. The increased efficiency leads to solar tower island installed cost reductions of up to 25% compared to the standalone CSP plant, particularly driven by the smaller solar field. - Highlights: • External superheating of nuclear steam with solar thermal energy is proposed. • Novel hybrid plant configuration is assembled, modeled and simulated. • Substantial increase of nuclear plant capacity and efficiency is reported. • Superior efficiency of solar heat to electricity conversion is achieved. • Substantial decrease of solar field investment cost is reported.

Thermal performance of a transpired solar collector updraft tower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eryener, Dogan; Hollick, John; Kuscu, Hilmi

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Transpired solar collector updraft tower has been studied experimentally. • Transpired solar collector updraft tower efficiency ranges from 60 to 80%. • A comparison has been made with other SUT prototypes. • Three times higher efficiency compared to the glazed collectors of conventional solar towers. - Abstract: A novel solar updraft tower prototype, which consists of transpired solar collector, is studied, its function principle is described and its experimental thermal performance is presented for the first time. A test unit of transpired solar collector updraft tower was installed at the campus of Trakya University Engineering Faculty in Edirne-Turkey in 2014. Solar radiation, ambient temperature, collector cavity temperatures, and chimney velocities were monitored during summer and winter period. The results showed that transpired solar collector efficiency ranges from 60% to 80%. The maximum temperature rise in the collector area is found to be 16–18 °C on the typical sunny day. Compared to conventional solar tower glazed collectors, three times higher efficiency is obtained. With increased thermal efficiency, large solar collector areas for solar towers can be reduced in half or less.

Solar power tower commercialization in the Southwest: A market and technical assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradley, J.; DeGroat, K.; Tanner, S.

1995-01-01

This market and technical assessment illustrates that the Southwestern power market can support the commercialization needs of Solar Power Tower (SPT) technology over the next 10 to 15 years. Realizing full commercial development during this time is contingent on successful completion of Solar Two and development of an initial follow-on plant around 2000. After 2002, the power market will become increasingly robust, presenting new opportunities for SPT development. The important conclusion of this analysis is that SPT projects can reach a cost level that puts them at or below the expected norm of costs for their main competitor, combined cycle natural gas. This means that with the same competitive focus on minimizing costs and finding opportunities to be more competitive that characterize combined cycle project developers, SPT has a realistic chance of competing and winning market share. The ability of SPT technology to compete in this market will be greatly affected by the rate of cost-reductions and technological improvements, but perhaps as importantly, by the environmental and regulatory climate which will unfold over the next decade and the availability of low cost financing options

Solar tracking control tower; Steuerungstechnik folgt der Sonne

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leu, Andreas [Jetter AG, Ludwigsburg (Germany). Bereich technisches Marketing und Seminare

2010-11-15

The ''Gemue-Dome'' building at Waldzimmern is a unique industrial building. The research, development and innovation center has a rotary control tower equipped with solar cells which automatically tracks the sun. This automation task was a challenge for the control and power supply sections. (orig.)

Facing technological challenges of Solar Updraft Power Plants

Science.gov (United States)

Lupi, F.; Borri, C.; Harte, R.; Krätzig, W. B.; Niemann, H.-J.

2015-01-01

The Solar Updraft Power Plant technology addresses a very challenging idea of combining two kinds of renewable energy: wind and solar. The working principle is simple: a Solar Updraft Power Plant (SUPP) consists of a collector area to heat the air due to the wide-banded ultra-violet solar radiation, the high-rise solar tower to updraft the heated air to the atmosphere, and in between the power conversion unit, where a system of coupled turbines and generators transforms the stream of heated air into electric power. A good efficiency of the power plant can only be reached with extra-large dimensions of the tower and/or the collector area. The paper presents an up-to-date review of the SUPP technology, focusing on the multi-physics modeling of the power plant, on the structural behavior of the tower and, last but not least, on the modeling of the stochastic wind loading process.

Fiscal 1974 Sunshine Project result report. R and D on solar heat power generation system (R and D on tower solar collection system); 1974 nendo taiyonetsu hatsuden system no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Tower shuko hoshiki system no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1975-05-29

This report summarizes the fiscal 1974 research result on the solar heat power generation system with a tower light collection system. This system receives solar radiation energy by reflector group, and concentrates solar energy reflected by each reflector on the heat absorber mounted on the top of the tower. A ratio of the whole reflector group area to the receiving area of the heat absorber is called a concentration factor. The heat absorber converts concentrated dense radiation energy to thermal energy, and transfers heated thermal medium to the bottom of the tower to supply solar heat to a thermal plant after appropriate treatment. Based on the above basic idea, study was made on the total system and each subsystem, and some problems on component equipment and materials were extracted. After solving these problems and improving the whole system accuracy, these results are put to practical use for design and operation of an actual pilot plant. The main research items are as follows: feasibility study, simulation, element study, preparation of a 10kWT test equipment, and planning of a 1,000kW class pilot plant. (NEDO)

Cooling towers of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikyska, L.

1986-01-01

The specifications are given of cooling towers of foreign nuclear power plants and a comparison is made with specifications of cooling towers with natural draught in Czechoslovak nuclear power plants. Shortcomings are pointed out in the design of cooling towers of Czechoslovak nuclear power plants which have been derived from conventional power plant design. The main differences are in the adjustment of the towers for winter operation and in the designed spray intensity. The comparison of selected parameters is expressed graphically. (J.B.)

Molten salt power towers operating at 600–650 °C: Salt selection and cost benefits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turchi, Craig S. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Vidal, Judith [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bauer, Matthew

2018-04-01

This analysis examines the potential benefit of adopting the supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) Brayton cycle at 600-650 degrees C compared to the current state-of-the-art power tower operating a steam-Rankine cycle with solar salt at approximately 574 degrees C. The analysis compares a molten-salt power tower configuration using direct storage of solar salt (60:40 wt% sodium nitrate: potassium nitrate) or single-component nitrate salts at 600 degrees C or alternative carbonate- or chloride-based salts at 650 degrees C.

Sensitivity Study of Atmospheric Attenuation in Tower Solar Power Plants with Radiative Trannsfer Models; Estudio de Sensibilidad de la Atenuacion Atmosferica en Centrales Termosolares de Torre con Modelos de Transferencia Radiativa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carmero, A.; Polo, J.

2014-02-01

Nowadays, solar power tower technology is showing great development and it’s placed as one of the most solar resource exploitation. According to this, it’s necessary exhaustive analysis and studies in order to allow technological progress which gives more technical security and economical reliability with the current technologies. In response to technical development this project is focused on solar attenuation which it will be a large problem in large power tower plant all over the world. This document present the results of the postgraduate work addressed by the author and tutored by Jesús Polo in the Renewable Energy Division of Ciemat.The work was presented at Carlos III University of Madrid in July 2013. (Author)

Cooling towers for thermal power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaboseau, J.

1987-01-01

After a brief recall on cooling towers testing and construction, this paper presents four examples of very large French nuclear power plant cooling towers, and one of an Australian thermal power plant [fr

An evaluation of possible next-generation high temperature molten-salt power towers.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolb, Gregory J.

2011-12-01

Since completion of the Solar Two molten-salt power tower demonstration in 1999, the solar industry has been developing initial commercial-scale projects that are 3 to 14 times larger. Like Solar Two, these initial plants will power subcritical steam-Rankine cycles using molten salt with a temperature of 565 C. The main question explored in this study is whether there is significant economic benefit to develop future molten-salt plants that operate at a higher receiver outlet temperature. Higher temperatures would allow the use of supercritical steam cycles that achieve an improved efficiency relative to today's subcritical cycle ({approx}50% versus {approx}42%). The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of a 565 C subcritical baseline plant was compared with possible future-generation plants that operate at 600 or 650 C. The analysis suggests that {approx}8% reduction in LCOE can be expected by raising salt temperature to 650 C. However, most of that benefit can be achieved by raising the temperature to only 600 C. Several other important insights regarding possible next-generation power towers were also drawn: (1) the evaluation of receiver-tube materials that are capable of higher fluxes and temperatures, (2) suggested plant reliability improvements based on a detailed evaluation of the Solar Two experience, and (3) a thorough evaluation of analysis uncertainties.

Steam generator design for solar towers using solar salt as heat transfer fluid

Science.gov (United States)

González-Gómez, Pedro Ángel; Petrakopoulou, Fontina; Briongos, Javier Villa; Santana, Domingo

2017-06-01

Since the operation of a concentrating solar power plant depends on the intermittent character of solar energy, the steam generator is subject to daily start-ups, stops and load variations. Faster start-up and load changes increase the plant flexibility and the daily energy production. However, it involves high thermal stresses on thick-walled components. Continuous operational conditions may eventually lead to a material failure. For these reasons, it is important to evaluate the transient behavior of the proposed designs in order to assure the reliability. The aim of this work is to analyze different steam generator designs for solar power tower plants using molten salt as heat transfer fluid. A conceptual steam generator design is proposed and associated heat transfer areas and steam drum size are calculated. Then, dynamic models for the main parts of the steam generator are developed to represent its transient performance. A temperature change rate that ensures safe hot start-up conditions is studied for the molten salt. The thermal stress evolution on the steam drum is calculated as key component of the steam generator.

Design and Fabrication of Solar Updraft Tower and Estimation of Power Generation; Initially Focused on Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Ayub, F.; Akhand, S.; Khan, A. S.; Saklayen, G.

2018-05-01

In our studies we focused on area of sourcing, converting and delivering sustainable energy, concentrating at the potential role of solar power. Power generation through a solar updraft tower (SUT) has been a promising approach for sustainable generation of renewable energy. Developing nations are faced with many challenges. Conventional sources are insufficient to meet the increasing demand of a developing, industrious nation (e.g. Bangladesh). Our project aims in reducing electricity crisis and forming a solution for our country, Bangladesh. The electricity generated can be supplied to the national grid. This will mean reduced cost for the government in the long run and also allow the government to reduce its dependency on costly and unsustainable fossil fuel. This cost reduction benefit can be passed on to the public as reduced energy cost or preferably through nationwide energy infrastructure development. This technology will not only help with the energy concern of Bangladesh but also will help to improve the situations of other developing countries alike Bangladesh. All in all implementing this technology will pave the way towards a better world and form a part of an integrated ecosystem of sustainable energy technology.

Development and simulation of a hydrogen production plant on a solar power tower; Entwicklung und Simulation einer Wasserstofferzeugungsanlage auf einem Solarturm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saeck, Jan-Peter

2012-08-29

The purpose of the present project was to develop and qualify a test plant for thermochemical hydrogen production on a solar power tower and to create and validate a systems and control model as well as an operating strategy for this purpose. [German] Ziel der Arbeit war, eine Testanlage zur thermochemischen Wasserstofferzeugung auf einem Solarturmsystem zu entwickeln und zu qualifizieren, sowie ein System- und Regelungsmodell und eine Betriebsstrategie dafuer zu erstellen und zu validieren.

Effect of heliostat size on the levelized cost of electricity for power towers

Science.gov (United States)

Pidaparthi, Arvind; Hoffmann, Jaap

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of heliostat size on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for power tower plants. These effects are analyzed in a power tower with a net capacity of 100 MWe, 8 hours of thermal energy storage and a solar multiple of 1.8 in Upington, South Africa. A large, medium and a small size heliostat with a total area of 115.56 m2, 43.3 m2 and 15.67 m2 respectively are considered for comparison. A radial-staggered pattern and an external cylindrical receiver are considered for the heliostat field layouts. The optical performance of the optimized heliostat field layouts has been evaluated by the Hermite (analytical) method using SolarPILOT, a tool used for the generation and optimization of the heliostat field layout. The heliostat cost per unit is calculated separately for the three different heliostat sizes and the effects due to size scaling, learning curve benefits and the price index is included. The annual operation and maintenance (O&M) costs are estimated separately for the three heliostat fields, where the number of personnel required in the field is determined by the number of heliostats in the field. The LCOE values are used as a figure of merit to compare the different heliostat sizes. The results, which include the economic and the optical performance along with the annual O&M costs, indicate that lowest LCOE values are achieved by the medium size heliostat with an area of 43.3 m2 for this configuration. This study will help power tower developers determine the optimal heliostat size for power tower plants currently in the development stage.

Atmospheric emissions from power plant cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micheletti, W.

2006-01-01

Power plant recirculated cooling systems (cooling towers) are not typically thought of as potential sources of air pollution. However, atmospheric emissions can be important considerations that may influence cooling tower design and operation. This paper discusses relevant U.S. environmental regulations for potential atmospheric pollutants from power plant cooling towers, and various methods for estimating and controlling these emissions. (orig.)

Molten Salt Power Tower Cost Model for the System Advisor Model (SAM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turchi, C. S.; Heath, G. A.

2013-02-01

This report describes a component-based cost model developed for molten-salt power tower solar power plants. The cost model was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), using data from several prior studies, including a contracted analysis from WorleyParsons Group, which is included herein as an Appendix. The WorleyParsons' analysis also estimated material composition and mass for the plant to facilitate a life cycle analysis of the molten salt power tower technology. Details of the life cycle assessment have been published elsewhere. The cost model provides a reference plant that interfaces with NREL's System Advisor Model or SAM. The reference plant assumes a nominal 100-MWe (net) power tower running with a nitrate salt heat transfer fluid (HTF). Thermal energy storage is provided by direct storage of the HTF in a two-tank system. The design assumes dry-cooling. The model includes a spreadsheet that interfaces with SAM via the Excel Exchange option in SAM. The spreadsheet allows users to estimate the costs of different-size plants and to take into account changes in commodity prices. This report and the accompanying Excel spreadsheet can be downloaded at https://sam.nrel.gov/cost.

LCOE reduction potential of parabolic trough and solar tower CSP technology until 2025

Science.gov (United States)

Dieckmann, Simon; Dersch, Jürgen; Giuliano, Stefano; Puppe, Michael; Lüpfert, Eckhard; Hennecke, Klaus; Pitz-Paal, Robert; Taylor, Michael; Ralon, Pablo

2017-06-01

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), with an installed capacity of 4.9 GW by 2015, is a young technology compared to other renewable power generation technologies. A limited number of plants and installed capacity in a small challenging market environment make reliable and transparent cost data for CSP difficult to obtain. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the DLR German Aerospace Center gathered and evaluated available cost data from various sources for this publication in order to yield transparent, reliable and up-to-date cost data for a set of reference parabolic trough and solar tower plants in the year 2015 [1]. Each component of the power plant is analyzed for future technical innovations and cost reduction potential based on current R&D activities, ongoing commercial developments and growth in market scale. The derived levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for 2015 and 2025 are finally contrasted with published power purchase agreements (PPA) of the NOOR II+III power plants in Morocco. At 7.5% weighted average cost of capital (WACC) and 25 years economic life time, the levelized costs of electricity for plants with 7.5 (trough) respectively 9 (tower) full-load hours thermal storage capacity decrease from 14-15 -ct/kWh today to 9-10 -ct/kWh by 2025 for both technologies at direct normal irradiation of 2500 kWh/(m².a). The capacity factor increases from 41.1% to 44.6% for troughs and from 45.5% to 49.0% for towers. Financing conditions are a major cost driver and offer potential for further cost reduction with the maturity of the technology and low interest rates (6-7 - ct/kWh for 2% WACC at 2500 kWh/(m2.a) in 2025).

An integrated solar thermal power system using intercooled gas turbine and Kalina cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Shuo; Hong, Hui; Jin, Hongguang; Wang, Zhifeng

2012-01-01

A new solar tower thermal power system integrating the intercooled gas turbine top cycle and the Kalina bottoming cycle is proposed in the present paper. The thermodynamic performance of the proposed system is investigated, and the irreversibility of energy conversion is disclosed using the energy–utilization diagram method. On the top cycle of the proposed system, the compressed air after being intercooled is heated at 1000 °C or higher at the solar tower receiver and is used to drive the gas turbine to generate power. The ammonia–water mixture as the working substance of the bottom cycle recovers the waste heat from the gas turbine to generate power. A concise analytical formula of solar-to-electric efficiency of the proposed system is developed. As a result, the peak solar-to-electric efficiency of the proposed system is 27.5% at a gas turbine inlet temperature of 1000 °C under the designed solar direct normal irradiance of 800 W/m 2 . Compared with a conventional solar power tower plant, the proposed integrated system conserves approximately 69% of consumed water. The results obtained in the current study provide an approach to improve solar-to-electric efficiency and offer a potential to conserve water for solar thermal power plants in arid area. -- Highlights: ► An Integrated Solar Thermal Power System is modeled. ► A formula forecasting the thermodynamic performance is proposed. ► The irreversibility of energy conversion is disclosed using an energy utilization method. ► The effect of key operational parameters on thermal performance is examined.

Fiscal 1976 Sunshine Project result report. R and D on solar heat power generation system (R and D on tower solar collection system); 1976 nendo taiyonetsu hatsuden system no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Tower shuko hoshiki system no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1977-05-27

This report describes the fiscal 1976 research result on tower solar collection system for solar heat power generation systems, and summarizes main specifications of the subsystem, equipment and control of the 1,000kW pilot plant. Based on daily and monthly long-time simulation, various programs were prepared for power generation, heat storage and operation rate of equipment, and real arrangements for total simulation were made. The output fluctuation rate less than 1%/min was obtained by studying a control system flexible for drastic fluctuation of solar radiation using the newly prepared dynamic characteristic equation for a steam loop. 10kW solar collection test was carried out using a pancake type heat absorber. Practical basic analysis was made on a heliostat driving system. A cavity type heat absorber was adopted in consideration of cost, operability and heat discharge. Based on thermal characteristics of a heat storage type heat exchanger using molten salt as heat medium, basic experiment was made on a compact latent heat type heat exchanger. Basic studies were also made on reflector, selective absorption surface and heat storage material. (NEDO)

Cell-Phone Tower Power System Prototype Testing for Verizon Wireless |

Science.gov (United States)

Advanced Manufacturing Research | NREL Cell-Phone Tower Power System Prototype Testing for Verizon Wireless Cell-Phone Tower Power System Prototype Testing for Verizon Wireless For Verizon Wireless , NREL tested a new cell-phone tower power system prototype based on DC interconnection and photovoltaics

''Novel'' types of cooling towers for the power industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikyska, L.

1991-01-01

New types of cooling towers are beginning to be used abroad for the cooling circuits of nuclear power plants employing power generation units rated at 1,300 to 1,400 MW. These so-called water recovery cooling towers make use of natural draught without a droplet section. They are actually upgraded designs which were built in Europe as far back as 70 years ago. Because of the unsuitable materials then employed, these cooling towers fell into oblivion. Today, however, they are undergoing a renaissance. An upgraded design of these towers is described and compared with existing cooling towers with a droplet section. The feasibility of using these towers in Czechoslovak conditions is considered. (author)

Thermoeconomic optimization of a combined-cycle solar tower power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spelling, James; Favrat, Daniel; Martin, Andrew; Augsburger, Germain

2012-01-01

A dynamic model of a pure-solar combined-cycle power plant has been developed in order to allow determination of the thermodynamic and economic performance of the plant for a variety of operating conditions and superstructure layouts. The model was then used for multi-objective thermoeconomic optimization of both the power plant performance and cost, using a population-based evolutionary algorithm. In order to examine the trade-offs that must be made, two conflicting objectives will be considered, namely minimal investment costs and minimal levelized electricity costs. It was shown that efficiencies in the region of 18–24% can be achieved, and this for levelized electricity costs in the region of 12–24 UScts/kWh e , depending on the magnitude of the initial investment, making the system competitive with current solar thermal technology. -- Highlights: ► Pure-solar combined-cycle studied using thermoeconomic tools. ► Multi-objective optimization conducted to determine Pareto-optimal power plant designs. ► Levelised costs between 12 and 24 UScts/kWhe predicted. ► Efficiencies between 18 and 24% predicted.

Laboratory Experiment and Numerical Analysis of a New Type of Solar Tower Efficiently Generating a Thermal Updraft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuji Ohya

2016-12-01

Full Text Available A new type of solar tower was developed through laboratory experiments and numerical analyses. The solar tower mainly consists of three components. The transparent collector area is an aboveground glass roof, with increasing height toward the center. Attached to the center of the inside of the collector is a vertical tower within which a wind turbine is mounted at the lower entry to the tower. When solar radiation heats the ground through the glass roof, ascending warm air is guided to the center and into the tower. A solar tower that can generate electricity using a simple structure that enables easy and less costly maintenance has considerable advantages. However, conversion efficiency from sunshine energy to mechanical turbine energy is very low. Aiming to improve this efficiency, the research project developed a diffuser-type tower instead of a cylindrical tower, and investigated a suitable diffuser shape for practical use. After changing the tower height and diffuser open angle, with a temperature difference between the ambient air aloft and within the collector, various diffuser tower shapes were tested by laboratory experiments and numerical analyses. As a result, it was found that a diffuser tower with a semi-open angle of 4° is an optimal shape, producing the fastest updraft at each temperature difference in both the laboratory experiments and numerical analyses. The relationships between thermal updraft speed and temperature difference and/or tower height were confirmed. It was found that the thermal updraft velocity is proportional to the square root of the tower height and/or temperature difference.

Noise from cooling towers of power parks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakaria, J.; Moore, F.K.

1975-01-01

A study is presented of the noise pollution problem for large power parks proposed for the future. Such parks might have an area of about 75 sq. miles, and a generating capacity up to 48000 MW. A comparative analysis has been done for natural and mechanical-draft wet towers as the major sources of acoustic power. Noise radiation from single isolated towers as well as from a dispersed array of towers has been considered for both types of cooling systems. Major noise attenuation effects considered are due to the atmospheric absorption and A-weighting. Conditions of 60F and 70 percent relative humidity in a still atmosphere have been assumed

Preliminary design of the Carrisa Plains solar central receiver power plant. Volume I. Executive summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-12-31

The design of the 30 MWe central receiver solar power plant to be located at Carrisa Plains, San Luis Obispo County, California, is summarized. The plant uses a vertical flat-panel (billboard) solar receiver located at the top of a tower to collect solar energy redirected by approximately 1900 heliostats located to the north of the tower. The solar energy is used to heat liquid sodium pumped from ground level from 610 to 1050/sup 0/F. The power conversion system is a non-reheat system, cost-effective at this size level, and designed for high-efficiency performance in an application requiring daily startup. Successful completion of this project will lead to power generation starting in 1986. This report also discusses plant performance, operations and maintenance, development, and facility cost estimate and economic analysis.

Effect of solar radiation on the performance of cross flow wet cooling tower in hot climate of Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Banooni, Salem; Chitsazan, Ali

2016-11-01

In some cities such as Ahvaz-Iran, the solar radiation is very high and the annual-mean-daily of the global solar radiation is about 17.33 MJ m2 d-1. Solar radiation as an external heat source seems to affect the thermal performance of the cooling towers. Usually, in modeling cooling tower, the effects of solar radiation are ignored. To investigate the effect of sunshade on the performance and modeling of the cooling tower, the experiments were conducted in two different states, cooling towers with and without sunshade. In this study, the Merkel's approach and finite difference technique are used to predict the thermal behavior of cross flow wet cooling tower without sunshade and the results are compared with the data obtained from the cooling towers with and without sunshade. Results showed that the sunshade is very efficient and it reduced the outlet water temperature, the approach and the water exergy of the cooling tower up to 1.2 °C, 15 and 1.1 %, respectively and increased the range and the efficiency of the cooling tower up to 29 and 37 %, respectively. Also, the sunshade decreased the error between the experimental data of the cooling tower with sunshade and the modeling results of the cooling tower without sunshade 1.85 % in average.

Embodied energy and emergy analyses of a concentrating solar power (CSP) system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Meimei; Wang Zhifeng; Xu Chao; Jiang Hui

2012-01-01

Although concentrating solar power (CSP) technology has been projected as one of the most promising candidates to replace conventional power plants burning fossil fuels, the potential advantages and disadvantages of the CSP technology have not been thoroughly evaluated. To better understand the performance of the CSP technology, this paper presents an ecological accounting framework based on embodied energy and emergy analyses methods. The analyses are performed for the 1.5 MW Dahan solar tower power plant in Beijing, China and different evaluation indices used in the embodied energy and emergy analyses are employed to evaluate the plant performance. Our analysis of the CSP plant are compared with six Italian power plants with different energy sources and an American PV plant, which demonstrates the CSP is the superior technology. - Highlights: ► Embodied energy and emergy analyses are employed to evaluate the first solar tower power plant in China. ► Different evaluation indices are quantitatively analyzed to show the advantages of CSP technology. ► This analysis provides insights for making energy policy and investment decisions about CSP technology.

CMHC's district heating work may lead to solar power-towers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peters, W

1979-11-01

A four-year study of district heating systems by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) may combine with leadership recognition by the International Energy Agency to allow Canada to join the U.S. as the center for power-tower technology. The application of central receivers to district heating evolved from the district heating study as heliostat technology developed and the economics improved with scale. Based on the Barstow, Calif. prototype, a commercial version is envisioned for the mid-1980s to generate steam for power generation, heating, and cooling. A proponent suggests applying it to a multi-fuel system as a retrofit after the technology is perfected. Land availability and the need for direct sunlight present problems for this type of application in Canada, where much of the light is diffuse. A cautious view is taken by those who feel that cost will be prohibitive and who point out that the U.S. tests have yet to prove viability. (DCK)

Power fluctuation and power loss of wind turbines due to wind shear and tower shadow

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Binrong WEN; Sha WEI; Kexiang WEI; Wenxian YANG; Zhike PENG; Fulei CHU

2017-01-01

The magnitude and stability of power output are two key indices of wind turbines.This study investigates the effects of wind shear and tower shadow on power output in terms of power fluctuation and power loss to estimate the capacity and quality of the power generated by a wind turbine.First,wind speed models,particularly the wind shear model and the tower shadow model,are described in detail.The widely accepted tower shadow model is modified in view of the cone-shaped towers of modem large-scale wind turbines.Power fluctuation and power loss due to wind shear and tower shadow are analyzed by performing theoretical calculations and case analysis within the framework of a modified version of blade element momentum theory.Results indicate that power fluctuation is mainly caused by tower shadow,whereas power loss is primarily induced by wind shear.Under steady wind conditions,power loss can be divided into wind farm loss and rotor loss.Wind farm loss is constant at 3α(3α-1)R2/(8H2).By contrast,rotor loss is strongly influenced by the wind turbine control strategies and wind speed.That is,when the wind speed is measured in a region where a variable-speed controller works,the rotor loss stabilizes around zero,but when the wind speed is measured in a region where the blade pitch controller works,the rotor loss increases as the wind speed intensifies.The results of this study can serve as a reference for accurate power estimation and strategy development to mitigate the fluctuations in aerodynamic loads and power output due to wind shear and tower shadow.

Visibility and Visual Characteristics of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System Power Tower Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, Robert [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Abplanalp, Jennifer M. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-03-01

This report presents the results of a study conducted to document the visibility and visual characteristics of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS), a utility-scale solar power tower facility located on land administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management in southern California. Study activities consisted of field observations of the ISEGS facility and comparison of the observations made in the field with the visual contrast assessments and visual simulations in the ISEGS Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) and supporting documents created prior to ISEGS construction. Field observations of ISEGS were made from 19 locations within 35 mi (56 km) of the facility in the course of one week in September 2014. The study results established that reflected sunlight from the receivers was the primary source of visual contrast from the operating ISEGS facility. The ISEGS facility was found to be a major source of visual contrast for all observations up to 20 mi (32 km), and was easily visible at 35 mi. Glare from individual heliostats was frequently visible, and often brighter than the reflected light from the receivers. Heliostat glare caused discomfort for one or more viewers at distances up to 20 mi. The ISEGS power blocks were brightly lit at night, and were conspicuous at the observation distance of approximately 6 mi (10 km). The facility is substantially brighter and is seen more clearly in the field than in photographs of the facility or in the prepared simulations, which were based on photographs. The simulations of the ISEGS facility in the Final EIS, which were evaluated as part of this study, sometimes lacked spatial accuracy and realism. The evaluated simulations generally under-represented the actual visual contrast from the project, and some of the contrast ratings in the Final EIS predicted substantially lower levels of visual contrast than were actually observed for the operating facility.

Economic Optimization of a Concentrating Solar Power Plant with Molten-salt Thermocline Storage

OpenAIRE

Flueckiger, S. M.; Iverson, B. D.; Garimella, S V

2014-01-01

System-level simulation of a molten-salt thermocline tank is undertaken in response to year-long historical weather data and corresponding plant control. Such a simulation is enabled by combining a finite-volume model of the tank that includes a sufficiently faithful representation at low computation cost with a system-level power tower plant model. Annual plant performance of a 100 MWe molten-salt power tower plant is optimized as a function of the thermocline tank size and the plant solar m...

Optimized dispatch in a first-principles concentrating solar power production model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, Michael J.; Newman, Alexandra M.; Hamilton, William T.; Braun, Robert J.

2017-10-01

Concentrating solar power towers, which include a steam-Rankine cycle with molten salt thermal energy storage, is an emerging technology whose maximum effectiveness relies on an optimal operational and dispatch policy. Given parameters such as start-up and shut-down penalties, expected electricity price profiles, solar availability, and system interoperability requirements, this paper seeks a profit-maximizing solution that determines start-up and shut-down times for the power cycle and solar receiver, and the times at which to dispatch stored and instantaneous quantities of energy over a 48-h horizon at hourly fidelity. The mixed-integer linear program (MIP) is subject to constraints including: (i) minimum and maximum rates of start-up and shut-down, (ii) energy balance, including energetic state of the system as a whole and its components, (iii) logical rules governing the operational modes of the power cycle and solar receiver, and (iv) operational consistency between time periods. The novelty in this work lies in the successful integration of a dispatch optimization model into a detailed techno-economic analysis tool, specifically, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's System Advisor Model (SAM). The MIP produces an optimized operating strategy, historically determined via a heuristic. Using several market electricity pricing profiles, we present comparative results for a system with and without dispatch optimization, indicating that dispatch optimization can improve plant profitability by 5-20% and thereby alter the economics of concentrating solar power technology. While we examine a molten salt power tower system, this analysis is equally applicable to the more mature concentrating solar parabolic trough system with thermal energy storage.

Coupled optical and thermal detailed simulations for the accurate evaluation and performance improvement of molten salts solar towers

Science.gov (United States)

García-Barberena, Javier; Mutuberria, Amaia; Palacin, Luis G.; Sanz, Javier L.; Pereira, Daniel; Bernardos, Ana; Sanchez, Marcelino; Rocha, Alberto R.

2017-06-01

developed, helping ACS Cobra to adequately handle the optical and thermal coupled simulations. According to current results it can be concluded that the developed model has resulted in a powerful tool to improve the design and operation of future ACS Cobra's Molten Salts Solar Towers, since historical data based on its projects have been used for validation of the final tool.

Brayton-Cycle Baseload Power Tower CSP System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Bruce [Wilson Solarpower Corporation, Boston, MA (United States)

2013-12-31

The primary objectives of Phase 2 of this Project were:1. Engineer, fabricate, and conduct preliminary testing on a low-pressure, air-heating solar receiver capable of powering a microturbine system to produce 300kWe while the sun is shining while simultaneously storing enough energy thermally to power the system for up to 13 hours thereafter. 2. Cycle-test a high-temperature super alloy, Haynes HR214, to determine its efficacy for the system’s high-temperature heat exchanger. 3. Engineer the thermal energy storage system. This Phase 2 followed Wilson’s Phase 1, which primarily was an engineering feasibility study to determine a practical and innovative approach to a full Brayton-cycle system configuration that could meet DOE’s targets. Below is a summary table of the DOE targets with Wilson’s Phase 1 Project results. The results showed that a Brayton system with an innovative (low pressure) solar receiver with ~13 hours of dry (i.e., not phase change materials or molten salts but rather firebrick, stone, or ceramics) has the potential to meet or exceed DOE targets. Such systems would consist of pre-engineered, standardized, factory-produced modules to minimize on-site costs while driving down costs through mass production. System sizes most carefully analyzed were in the range of 300 kWe to 2 MWe. Such systems would also use off-the-shelf towers, blowers, piping, microturbine packages, and heliostats. Per DOE’s instructions, LCOEs are based on the elevation and DNI levels of Daggett, CA, for a 100 MWe power plant following 2 GWe of factory production of the various system components.

Heat Transfer Phenomena in Concentrating Solar Power Systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armijo, Kenneth Miguel; Shinde, Subhash L.

2016-11-01

Concentrating solar power (CSP) utilizes solar thermal energy to drive a thermal power cycle for the generation of electricity. CSP systems are facilitated as large, centralized power plants , such as power towers and trough systems, to take advantage of ec onomies of scale through dispatchable thermal energy storage, which is a principle advantage over other energy generation systems . Additionally, the combination of large solar concentration ratios with high solar conversion efficiencies provides a strong o pportunity of employment of specific power cycles such as the Brayton gas cycle that utilizes super critical fluids such as supercritical carbon dioxide (s CO 2 ) , compared to other sola r - fossil hybrid power plants. A comprehensive thermal - fluids examination is provided by this work of various heat transfer phenomena evident in CSP technologies. These include sub - systems and heat transfer fundamental phenomena evident within CSP systems , which include s receivers, heat transfer fluids (HTFs), thermal storage me dia and system designs , thermodynamic power block systems/components, as well as high - temperature materials. This work provides literature reviews, trade studies, and phenomenological comparisons of heat transfer media (HTM) and components and systems, all for promotion of high performance and efficient CSP systems. In addition, f urther investigations are also conducted that provide advanced heat transfer modeling approaches for gas - particle receiver systems , as well as performance/efficiency enhancement re commendations, particularly for solarized supercritical power systems .

Dispatchable Solar Power Plant Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Henry [Solar Dynamics LLC, Broomfield, CO (United States)

2018-01-31

As penetration of intermittent renewable power increases, grid operators must manage greater variability in the supply and demand on the grid. One result is that utilities are planning to build many new natural gas peaking power plants that provide added flexibility needed for grid management. This report discusses the development of a dispatchable solar power (DSP) plant that can be used in place of natural gas peakers. Specifically, a new molten-salt tower (MST) plant has been developed that is designed to allow much more flexible operation than typically considered in concentrating solar power plants. As a result, this plant can provide most of the capacity and ancillary benefits of a conventional natural gas peaker plant but without the carbon emissions. The DSP system presented was designed to meet the specific needs of the Arizona Public Service (APS) utility 2017 peaking capacity request for proposals (RFP). The goal of the effort was to design a MST peaker plant that had the operational capabilities required to meet the peaking requirements of the utility and be cost competitive with the natural gas alternative. The effort also addresses many perceived barriers facing the commercial deployment of MST technology in the US today. These include MST project development issues such as permitting, avian impacts, visual impacts of tower CSP projects, project schedule, and water consumption. The DSP plant design is based on considerable analyses using sophisticated solar system design tools and in-depth preliminary engineering design. The resulting DSP plant design uses a 250 MW steam power cycle, with solar field designed to fit on a square mile plot of land that has a design point thermal rating of 400 MWt. The DSP plant has an annual capacity factor of about 16% tailored to deliver greater than 90% capacity during the critical Arizona summer afternoon peak. The table below compares the All-In energy cost and capacity payment of conventional combustion turbines

Power with heliostats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hildebrandt, A.F.; Vant-Hull, L.L.

1993-01-01

The authors describe the concept of the central receiver and consider the following topics: the plan of their solar thermal power system or ''solar power tower'' based on optical transmission; the history of the solar tower; the receiver subsystem; the design of the heliostats and their placement in a field; thermal storage; environmental concerns; and economics

Preliminary design of the Carrisa Plains solar central receiver power plant. Volume III, Book 1. Design description

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-12-31

The design of the 30 MWe central receiver solar power plant to be located at Carrisa Plains, San Luis Obispo County, California, is summarized. The plant uses a vertical flat-panel (billboard solar receiver located at the top of a tower to collect solar energy redirected by approximately 1900 heliostats located to the north of the tower. The solar energy is used to heat liquid sodium pumped from ground level from 610 to 1050/sup 0/F. The power conversion system is a non-reheat system, cost-effective at this size level, and designed for high-efficiency performance in an application requiring daily startup. Successful completion of this project will lead to power generation starting in 1986. This report discusses in detail the design of the collector system, heat transport system, thermal storage subsystem, heat transport loop, steam generation subsystem, electrical, instrumentation, and control systems, power conversion system, master control system, and balance of plant. The performance, facility cost estimate and economic analysis, and development plan are also discussed.

AN APPLICATION FOR ELECTRICAL PRODUCTION WITH SOLAR TOWER SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reşat SELBAŞ

2003-02-01

Full Text Available The requirement of electric energy rises with increasing of the population and faster improvement demands. Energy necessity generally is provided by using fossil based fuel sources. In order to supply energy requirements, today, using alternative sources became necessary because of the problems such as decreasing of available fossil fuel sources and environment pollution from this fuel. The solar energy which has a wide range of application potential is the most hopeful and unlimited energy source without environment pollution in electric energy production. In this paper, the electric production methods from solar energy are studied and the most suitable method for solar energy plant is tried to find out. The selected method, known as Solar Tower in literature is an electric production method. In this study, technical and cost analysis of an application using this method are carried out.

Research Based on the Acoustic Emission of Wind Power Tower Drum Dynamic Monitoring Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Penglin; Sang, Yuan; Xu, Yaxing; Zhao, Zhiqiang

Wind power tower drum is one of the key components of the wind power equipment. Whether the wind tower drum performs safety directly affects the efficiency, life, and performance of wind power equipment. Wind power tower drum in the process of manufacture, installation, and operation may lead to injury, and the wind load and gravity load and long-term factors such as poor working environment under the action of crack initiation or distortion, which eventually result in the instability or crack of the wind power tower drum and cause huge economic losses. Thus detecting the wind power tower drum crack damage and instability is especially important. In this chapter, acoustic emission is used to monitor the whole process of wind power tower drum material Q345E steel tensile test at first, and processing and analysis tensile failure signal of the material. And then based on the acoustic emission testing technology to the dynamic monitoring of wind power tower drum, the overall detection and evaluation of the existence of active defects in the whole structure, and the acoustic emission signals collected for processing and analysis, we could preliminarily master the wind tower drum mechanism of acoustic emission source. The acoustic emission is a kind of online, efficient, and economic method, which has very broad prospects for work. The editorial committee of nondestructive testing qualification and certification of personnel teaching material of science and technology industry of national defense, "Acoustic emission testing" (China Machine Press, 2005.1).

Concentrating Solar Power Gen3 Demonstration Roadmap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mehos, Mark [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Turchi, Craig [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Vidal, Judith [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wagner, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ma, Zhiwen [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ho, Clifford [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kolb, William [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Andraka, Charles [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kruizenga, Alan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-01-01

Today's power-tower concentrating solar power (CSP) technology exists in large part as a result of Department of Energy (DOE) and utility industry funding of demonstration systems in the 1980s and 1990s. Today's most advanced towers are integrated with molten-salt thermal energy storage, delivering thermal energy at 565 degrees C for integration with conventional steam-Rankine cycles. The supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle has been identified as a likely successor to the steam-Rankine power cycle due to its potential for high efficiency when operating at elevated temperatures of 700 degrees C or greater. Over the course of the SunShot Initiative, DOE has supported a number of technology pathways that can operate efficiently at these temperatures and that hold promise to be reliable and cost effective. Three pathways - molten salt, particle, and gaseous - were selected for further investigation based on a two-day workshop held in August of 2016. The information contained in this roadmap identifies research and development challenges and lays out recommended research activities for each of the three pathways. DOE foresees that by successfully addressing the challenges identified in this roadmap, one or more technology pathways will be positioned for demonstration and subsequent commercialization within the next ten years. Based on current knowledge of the three power tower technologies, all three have the potential to achieve the SunShot goal of 6 cents/kilowatt-hour. Further development, modeling, and testing are now required to bring one or more of the technologies to a stage where integrated system tests and pilot demonstrations are feasible.

Towards prioritizing flexibility in the design and construction of concentrating solar power plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Topel, Monika; Lundqvist, Mårten; Haglind, Fredrik

2017-01-01

In the operation and maintenance of concentrating solar power plants, high operational flexibility is required in order to withstand the variability from the inherent solar fluctuations. However, during the development phases of a solar thermal plant, this important objective is overlooked...... as a relevant factor for cost reduction in the long term. This paper will show the value of including flexibility aspects in the design of a concentrating solar power plant by breaking down their potential favorable impact on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) calculations. For this, three scenarios...... to include flexibility as a design objective are analyzed and their potential impact on the LCOE is quantified. The scenarios were modeled and analyzed using a techno-economic model of a direct steam generation solar tower power plant. Sensitivity studies were carried out for each scenario, in which...

The effects of operation parameter on the performance of a solar-powered adsorption chiller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Huilong; Wang, Ruzhu; Dai, Yanjun

2010-01-01

A solar-powered adsorption chiller with heat and mass recovery cycle was designed and constructed. It consists of a solar water heating unit, a silica gel-water adsorption chiller, a cooling tower and a fan coil unit. The adsorption chiller includes two identical adsorption units and a second stage evaporator with methanol working fluid. The effects of operation parameter on system performance were tested successfully. Test results indicated that the COP (coefficient of performance) and cooling power of the solar-powered adsorption chiller could be improved greatly by optimizing the key operation parameters, such as solar hot water temperature, heating/cooling time, mass recovery time, and chilled water temperature. Under the climatic conditions of daily solar radiation being about 16-21 MJ/m 2 , this solar-powered adsorption chiller can produce a cooling capacity about 66-90 W per m 2 collector area, its daily solar cooling COP is about 0.1-0.13.

Photocatalytic Solar Tower Reactor for the Elimination of a Low Concentration of VOCs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nobuaki Negishi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available We developed a photocatalytic solar tower reactor for the elimination of low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs typically emitted from small industrial establishments. The photocatalytic system can be installed in a narrow space, as the reactor is cylindrical-shaped. The photocatalytic reactor was placed vertically in the center of a cylindrical scattering mirror, and this vertical reactor was irradiated with scattered sunlight generated by the scattering mirror. About 5 ppm toluene vapor, used as representative VOC, was continuously photodegraded and converted to CO2 almost stoichiometrically under sunny conditions. Toluene removal depended only on the intensity of sunlight. The performance of the solar tower reactor did not decrease with half a year of operation, and the average toluene removal was 36% within this period.

Cost and performance analysis of concentrating solar power systems with integrated latent thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nithyanandam, K.; Pitchumani, R.

2014-01-01

Integrating TES (thermal energy storage) in a CSP (concentrating solar power) plant allows for continuous operation even during times when solar irradiation is not available, thus providing a reliable output to the grid. In the present study, the cost and performance models of an EPCM-TES (encapsulated phase change material thermal energy storage) system and HP-TES (latent thermal storage system with embedded heat pipes) are integrated with a CSP power tower system model utilizing Rankine and s-CO 2 (supercritical carbon-dioxide) power conversion cycles, to investigate the dynamic TES-integrated plant performance. The influence of design parameters of the storage system on the performance of a 200 MW e capacity power tower CSP plant is studied to establish design envelopes that satisfy the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative requirements, which include a round-trip annualized exergetic efficiency greater than 95%, storage cost less than $15/kWh t and LCE (levelized cost of electricity) less than 6 ¢/kWh. From the design windows, optimum designs of the storage system based on minimum LCE, maximum exergetic efficiency, and maximum capacity factor are reported and compared with the results of two-tank molten salt storage system. Overall, the study presents the first effort to construct and analyze LTES (latent thermal energy storage) integrated CSP plant performance that can help assess the impact, cost and performance of LTES systems on power generation from molten salt power tower CSP plant. - Highlights: • Presents technoeconomic analysis of thermal energy storage integrated concentrating solar power plants. • Presents a comparison of different storage options. • Presents optimum design of thermal energy storage system for steam Rankine and supercritical carbon dioxide cycles. • Presents designs for maximizing exergetic efficiency while minimizing storage cost and levelized cost of energy

Performance Analysis of an Updraft Tower System for Dry Cooling in Large-Scale Power Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haotian Liu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available An updraft tower cooling system is assessed for elimination of water use associated with power plant heat rejection. Heat rejected from the power plant condenser is used to warm the air at the base of an updraft tower; buoyancy-driven air flows through a recuperative turbine inside the tower. The secondary loop, which couples the power plant condenser to a heat exchanger at the tower base, can be configured either as a constant-pressure pump cycle or a vapor compression cycle. The novel use of a compressor can elevate the air temperature in the tower base to increases the turbine power recovery and decrease the power plant condensing temperature. The system feasibility is evaluated by comparing the net power needed to operate the system versus alternative dry cooling schemes. A thermodynamic model coupling all system components is developed for parametric studies and system performance evaluation. The model predicts that constant-pressure pump cycle consumes less power than using a compressor; the extra compression power required for temperature lift is much larger than the gain in turbine power output. The updraft tower system with a pumped secondary loop can allow dry cooling with less power plant efficiency penalty compared to air-cooled condensers.

Numerical research of dynamic characteristics in tower solar cavity receiver based on step-change radiation flux

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhengwei; Wang, Yueshe; Hao, Yun; Wang, Qizhi

2013-07-01

The solar cavity receiver is an important light-energy to thermal-energy convector in the tower solar thermal power plant system. The heat flux in the inner surface of the cavity will show the characteristics of non-continuous step change especially in non-normal and transient weather conditions, which may result in a continuous dynamic variation of the characteristic parameters. Therefore, the research of dynamic characteristics of the receiver plays a very important role in the operation and the control safely in solar cavity receiver system. In this paper, based on the non-continuous step change of radiation flux, a non-linear dynamic model is put forward to obtain the effects of the non-continuous step change radiation flux and step change feed water flow on the receiver performance by sequential modular approach. The subject investigated in our study is a 1MW solar power station constructed in Yanqing County, Beijing. This study has obtained the dynamic responses of the characteristic parameters in the cavity receiver, such as drum pressure, drum water level, main steam flow and main steam enthalpy under step change radiation flux. And the influence law of step-change feed water flow to the dynamic characteristics in the receiver also has been analyzed. The results have a reference value for the safe operation and the control in solar cavity receiver system.

Lower parts of Temelin nuclear power plant cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sebek, J.

1988-01-01

The progress of work is described in detail on the foundations and lower parts of the cooling towers of the Temelin nuclear power plant. The cooling tower is placed on a reinforced concrete footing of a circular layout. Support pillars are erected on the reinforced concrete continuous footing. They consists of oblique shell stanchions. Inside, the footing joins up to monolithic wall and slab structures of the cooling tower tub. The tub bottom forms a foundation plate supporting prefab structures of the cooling tower inner structural systems. The framed support of the chimney shell consists of 56 pairs of prefabricated oblique stanchions. Following their erection into the final position and anchoring in the continuous footing, the concreting of the casing can start of the reinforced conrete chimney. (Z.M.). 3 figs

Exergy and Environmental Impact Assessment between Solar Powered Gas Turbine and Conventional Gas Turbine Power Plant

OpenAIRE

Rajaei, Ali; Barzegar Avval, Hasan; Eslami, Elmira

2016-01-01

Recuperator is a heat exchanger that is used in gas turbine power plants to recover energy from outlet hot gases to heat up the air entering the combustion chamber. Similarly, the combustion chamber inlet air can be heated up to temperatures up to 1000 (°C) by solar power tower (SPT) as a renewable and environmentally benign energy source. In this study, comprehensive comparison between these two systems in terms of energy, exergy, and environmental impacts is carried out. Thermodynamic simul...

Renewable Energy Essentials: Concentrating Solar Thermal Power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-01

Concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) is a re-emerging market. The Luz Company built 354 MWe of commercial plants in California, still in operations today, during 1984-1991. Activity re-started with the construction of an 11-MW plant in Spain, and a 64-MW plant in Nevada, by 2006. There are currently hundreds of MW under construction, and thousands of MW under development worldwide. Spain and the United States together represent 90% of the market. Algeria, Egypt and Morocco are building integrated solar combined cycle plants, while Australia, China, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates are finalising or considering projects. While trough technology remains the dominant technology, several important innovations took place over 2007-2009: the first commercial solar towers, the first commercial plants with multi-hour capacities, the first Linear Fresnel Reflector plants went into line.

Final Report on the Operation and Maintenance Improvement Program for Concentrating Solar Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, Gilbert E.; Kearney, David W.; Kolb, Gregory J.

1999-01-01

This report describes the results of a six-year, $6.3 million project to reduce operation and maintenance (O ampersand M) costs at power plants employing concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. Sandia National Laboratories teamed with KJC Operating Company to implement the O ampersand M Improvement Program. O ampersand M technologies developed during the course of the program were demonstrated at the 150-MW Kramer Junction solar power park located in Boron, California. Improvements were made in the following areas: (a) efficiency of solar energy collection, (b) O ampersand M information management, (c) reliability of solar field flow loop hardware, (d) plant operating strategy, and (e) cost reduction associated with environmental issues. A 37% reduction in annual O ampersand M costs was achieved. Based on the lessons learned, an optimum solar- field O ampersand M plan for future CSP plants is presented. Parabolic trough solar technology is employed at Kramer Junction. However, many of the O ampersand M improvements described in the report are also applicable to CSP plants based on solar power tower or dish/engine concepts

Final Report on the Operation and Maintenance Improvement Program for Concentrating Solar Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cohen Gilbert E.; Kearney, David W.; Kolb, Gregory J.

1999-06-01

This report describes the results of a six-year, $6.3 million project to reduce operation and maintenance (O&M) costs at power plants employing concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. Sandia National Laboratories teamed with KJC Operating Company to implement the O&M Improvement Program. O&M technologies developed during the course of the program were demonstrated at the 150-MW Kramer Junction solar power park located in Boron, California. Improvements were made in the following areas: (a) efficiency of solar energy collection, (b) O&M information management, (c) reliability of solar field flow loop hardware, (d) plant operating strategy, and (e) cost reduction associated with environmental issues. A 37% reduction in annual O&M costs was achieved. Based on the lessons learned, an optimum solar- field O&M plan for future CSP plants is presented. Parabolic trough solar technology is employed at Kramer Junction. However, many of the O&M improvements described in the report are also applicable to CSP plants based on solar power tower or dish/engine concepts.

Plant Vogtle cooling tower studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Steen, L.

2000-01-01

Intensive ground-based field studies of plumes from two large, natural-draft cooling towers were conducted in support of the MTI modeling effort. Panchromatic imagery, IR imagery, meteorological data, internal tower temperatures and plant power data were collected during the field studies. These data were used to evaluate plume simulations, plume radioactive transfer calculations and plume volume estimation algorithms used for power estimation. Results from six field studies indicate that a 3-D atmospheric model at sufficient spatial resolution can effectively simulate a cooling tower plume if the plume is of sufficient size and the ambient meteorology is known and steady. Small plumes and gusty wind conditions degrade the agreement between the simulated and observed plumes. Thermal radiance calculations based on the simulated plumes produced maximum IR temperatures (near tower exit) which were in good agreement with measured IR temperatures for the larger plumes. For the smaller plumes, the calculated IR temperature was lower than the measured temperature by several degrees. Variations in maximum IR plume temperature with decreasing power (one reactor was undergoing a shutdown process), were clearly observed in the IR imagery and seen in the simulations. These temperature changes agreed with those calculated from an overall tower energy and momentum balance. Plume volume estimates based on camcorder images at three look angles were typically 20--30 percent larger than the plume volumes derived from the simulations, although one estimate was twice the simulated volume. Volume overestimation is expected and will have to be accounted for to some degree if plume volume is to be a useful diagnostic quantity in power estimation. Volume estimation with MTI imagery will require a large, stable plume and two looks in the visible bands (5m GSD) along with a solar shadow

Solar-Enhanced Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers for Geothermal Power Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamel Hooman

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the optimization of a Solar-Enhanced Natural-Draft Dry-Cooling Tower (SENDDCT, originally designed by the Queensland Geothermal Energy Centre of Excellence (QGECE, as the air-cooled condenser of a geothermal power plant. The conventional method of heat transfer augmentation through fin-assisted area extension is compared with a metal foam-wrapped tube bundle. Both lead to heat-transfer enhancement, albeit at the expense of a higher pressure drop when compared to the bare tube bundle as our reference case. An optimal design is obtained through the use of a simplified analytical model and existing correlations by maximizing the heat transfer rate with a minimum pressure drop goal as the constraint. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of sunroof diameter, as well as tube bundle layouts and tube spacing, on the overall performance of the system. Aiming to minimize the flow and thermal resistances for a SENDDCT, an optimum design is presented for an existing tower to be equipped with solar panels to afterheat the air leaving the heat exchanger bundles, which are arranged vertically around the tower skirt. Finally, correlations are proposed to predict the total pressure drop and heat transfer of the extended surfaces considered here.

Novel partial-subsidence tower-type boiler design in an ultra-supercritical power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Gang; Xu, Cheng; Yang, Yongping; Fang, Yaxiong; Zhou, Luyao; Zhang, Kai

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The two-pass type and tower-type boilers were compared. • A novel partial-subsidence tower-type boiler design was proposed. • Thermodynamic and economic analyses were quantitatively conducted. • The application of the partial-subsidence boiler to a 700 °C stage unit was further analyzed. - Abstract: An increasing number of tower-type boilers have been applied to ultra-supercritical power plants because of the simple design of the membrane walls and the smooth increase in temperature of such boilers. Nevertheless, the significant height and long steam pipelines of this boiler type will expand the power plant investment cost and increase steam-side pressure losses, especially for higher parameters units requiring high costs of nickel-based alloy materials. Thus, a novel partial-subsidence tower-type boiler design was proposed. In this boiler type, nearly 1/2–2/3 of the boiler height was embedded underground to reduce the height of the boiler and the length of the steam pipelines significantly. Thermodynamic and economic analyses were conducted on a state-of-the-art 1000 MW ultra-supercritical power plant and a prospective 700 °C-stage double reheat power plant. Results showed that the proposed tower-type boiler design could result in a 0.1% point increase in net efficiency and a $0.56/MW h reduction in the cost of electricity in a 1000 MW power plant. This economic benefit was enhanced for power plants with higher steam parameters and larger capacity. The concept of the proposed boiler design may provide a promising method for tower-type boiler applications, especially in new-generation double reheat plants with higher parameters

Kaiseraugst nuclear power station: meteorological effects of the cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1975-01-01

Considerations of water conservation persuaded the German Government in 1971 not to allow the use of the Aar and Rhine for direct cooling of nuclear power stations. The criticism is often made that the Kaiseraugst cooling towers were built without full consideration of the resulting meteorological effects. The criticism is considered unjustified because the Federal Cooling Tower Commission considered all the relevant aspects before making its recommendations in 1972. Test results and other considerations show that the effect of the kaiseraugst cooling towers on meteorological and climatic conditions is indeed minimal and details are given. (P.G.R.)

FY 1977 Annual report on Sunshine Project results. Experimental research for detailed designs of tower light-collection type solar thermal power plant; 1977 nendo taiyonetsu hatsuden plant (tower shuko hoshiki) no shosai sekkei no tame no shiken kenkyu seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1978-03-31

This project is aimed at pursuing technical and economic possibilities of solar thermal power plant by development of devices for a tower light-collecting type solar thermal power plant (in particular, heliostat, heat absorber and heat storage device) and materials therefor through the basic tests, and tests using a 10 kW heat collector and construction, on a trial basis, of a large-scale model plant with a commercial heliostat, and by planning to construct a 1,000 kW-class pilot plant for generating peak-shaving power using these devices. The major achievements in the FY1977 are summarized. The system analysis estimates annual power production possibly reaching 547,600 kWH. The heat-collecting test plant records a heat-collecting efficiency of 50 to 70% for collected heat quantity of 50 kW or more. The heliostat test confirms that the GL type is more favorable than the XY type. The heat absorber, which is a 1/3 model of the commercial device, is tested for its heat releasing performance, producing the quantitative released heat data. The heat transfer characteristics are investigated for the regenerative heat exchanger when the phase changes occur simultaneously on both molten salt and water sides. The mirror is exposure-tested in the field test for 1 year, to collect the data. (NEDO)

Concentrating Solar Power Central Receiver Panel Component Fabrication and Testing FINAL REPORT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDowell, Michael W [Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; Miner, Kris [Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

2013-03-30

The objective of this project is to complete a design of an advanced concentrated solar panel and demonstrate the manufacturability of key components. Then confirm the operation of the key components under prototypic solar flux conditions. This work is an important step in reducing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) from a central receiver solar power plant. The key technical risk to building larger power towers is building the larger receiver systems. Therefore, this proposed technology project includes the design of an advanced molten salt prototypic sub-scale receiver panel that can be utilized into a large receiver system. Then complete the fabrication and testing of key components of the receive design that will be used to validate the design. This project shall have a significant impact on solar thermal power plant design. Receiver panels of suitable size for utility scale plants are a key element to a solar power tower plant. Many subtle and complex manufacturing processes are involved in producing a reliable, robust receiver panel. Given the substantial size difference between receiver panels manufactured in the past and those needed for large plant designs, the manufacture and demonstration on prototype receiver panel components with representative features of a full-sized panel will be important to improving the build process for commercial success. Given the thermal flux limitations of the test facility, the panel components cannot be rendered full size. Significance changes occurred in the projects technical strategies from project initiation to the accomplishments described herein. The initial strategy was to define cost improvements for the receiver, design and build a scale prototype receiver and test, on sun, with a molten salt heat transport system. DOE had committed to constructing a molten salt heat transport loop to support receiver testing at the top of the NSTTF tower. Because of funding constraints this did not happen. A subsequent plan to

Impact of Wind Shear and Tower Shadow Effects on Power System with Large Scale Wind Power Penetration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Weihao; Su, Chi; Chen, Zhe

2011-01-01

presents a simulation model of a variable speed wind farm with permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs) and fullscale back-to-back converters in the simulation tool of DIgSILENT/PowerFactory. In this paper, the impacts of wind shear and tower shadow effects on the small signal stability of power......Grid connected wind turbines are fluctuating power sources due to wind speed variations, the wind shear and the tower shadow effects. The fluctuating power may be able to excite the power system oscillation at a frequency close to the natural oscillation frequency of a power system. This paper...... systems with large scale wind power penetrations are investigated during continuous operation based on the wind turbine model and the power system model....

Concentration solar thermal power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livet, F.

2011-01-01

As the production of electricity by concentration solar power (CSP) installations is said to be a source of energy for the future, the author discusses past experiments (notably the French Thermis project), and the different techniques which are currently being used. He indicates the regions which appear to be the most appropriate for this technique. He presents the three main techniques: parabolic cylinder, tower, and Stirling cycle installations. He discusses the issue of intermittency. He proposes an assessment of prices and of their evolution, and indicates the investments made in different installations (in Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal). He comments the case of hybrid installations (sun and gas), evokes the Desertec project proposed by the German industry which comprises a set of hybrid installations. He notices that there is no significant technological evolution for this process

Analysis of the evaporative towers cooling system of a coal-fired power plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laković Mirjana S.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a theoretical analysis of the cooling system of a 110 MW coal-fired power plant located in central Serbia, where eight evaporative towers cool down the plant. An updated research on the evaporative tower cooling system has been carried out to show the theoretical analysis of the tower heat and mass balance, taking into account the sensible and latent heat exchanged during the processes which occur inside these towers. Power plants which are using wet cooling towers for cooling condenser cooling water have higher design temperature of cooling water, thus the designed condensing pressure is higher compared to plants with a once-through cooling system. Daily and seasonal changes further deteriorate energy efficiency of these plants, so it can be concluded that these plants have up to 5% less efficiency compared to systems with once-through cooling. The whole analysis permitted to evaluate the optimal conditions, as far as the operation of the towers is concerned, and to suggest an improvement of the plant. Since plant energy efficiency improvement has become a quite common issue today, the evaluation of the cooling system operation was conducted under the hypothesis of an increase in the plant overall energy efficiency due to low cost improvement in cooling tower system.

Performance comparison of different thermodynamic cycles for an innovative central receiver solar power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes-Belmonte, Miguel A.; Sebastián, Andrés; González-Aguilar, José; Romero, Manuel

2017-06-01

The potential of using different thermodynamic cycles coupled to a solar tower central receiver that uses a novel heat transfer fluid is analyzed. The new fluid, named as DPS, is a dense suspension of solid particles aerated through a tubular receiver used to convert concentrated solar energy into thermal power. This novel fluid allows reaching high temperatures at the solar receiver what opens a wide range of possibilities for power cycle selection. This work has been focused into the assessment of power plant performance using conventional, but optimized cycles but also novel thermodynamic concepts. Cases studied are ranging from subcritical steam Rankine cycle; open regenerative Brayton air configurations at medium and high temperature; combined cycle; closed regenerative Brayton helium scheme and closed recompression supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle. Power cycle diagrams and working conditions for design point are compared amongst the studied cases for a common reference thermal power of 57 MWth reaching the central cavity receiver. It has been found that Brayton air cycle working at high temperature or using supercritical carbon dioxide are the most promising solutions in terms of efficiency conversion for the power block of future generation by means of concentrated solar power plants.

Solar engineering 1995: Proceedings. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stine, W.B.; Tanaka, Tadayoshi; Claridge, D.E.

1995-01-01

This is Volume 1 of the papers presented at the 1995 ASME/JSME/JSES International Solar Energy Conference. The topics of the papers include wind energy, heat pump performance, ground source and solar chemical heat pumps, analysis of measured building energy data, thermal storage, system modeling of buildings, evaluation of the Federal Building energy Efficiency program, sustainable projects, bioconversion, solar chemistry, solar detoxification innovative concepts and industrial applications, solar thermal power systems, DISH/engine power systems, power towers, solar thermal power advanced development, and solar thermal process heating and cooling

Fiscal 1974 Sunshine Project result report. Research on solar energy utilization systems (solar heat power generation); 1974 nendo taiyo energy riyo system chosa kenkyu seika hokokusho. Taiyonetsu hatsuden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1975-03-01

This report summarizes the fiscal 1974 research result on solar heat power generation. The following are promising as solar heat power plant sites in Japan: Large-scale sites such as the foot of volcanos, riverbed, railway site and road, medium-scale sites such as isolated island, saltpan site and industrial park, and small-scale sites such as factory site, factory roof floor, housing complex, warehouse and school. Based on the primary concept design of both curved reflector type and tower type 1,000kW class solar heat power plants, various requirements were clarified roughly. It was clarified that food, fiber and non-ferrous metal factories can cover 80-90% of their thermal energy requirements with high- temperature solar heat, while factories related to food and fiber can cover even nearly 100% of their electric power requirements with solar heat. Study was also made on specifications of a solar simulator as common use facility necessary for characteristic evaluation of equipment and materials for solar heat power generation systems. (NEDO)

Techno-economic evaluation of concentrating solar power generation in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purohit, Ishan; Purohit, Pallav

2010-01-01

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) of the recently announced National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) by the Government of India aims to promote the development and use of solar energy for power generation and other uses with the ultimate objective of making solar competitive with fossil-based energy options. The plan includes specific goals to (a) create an enabling policy framework for the deployment of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022; (b) create favourable conditions for solar manufacturing capability, particularly solar thermal for indigenous production and market leadership; (c) promote programmes for off grid applications, reaching 1000 MW by 2017 and 2000 MW by 2022, (d) achieve 15 million m 2 solar thermal collector area by 2017 and 20 million by 2022, and (e) deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022. The installed capacity of grid interactive solar power projects were 6 MW until October 2009 that is far below from their respective potential. In this study, a preliminary attempt towards the technical and economic assessment of concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies in India has been made. To analyze the techno-economic feasibility of CSP technologies in Indian conditions two projects namely PS-10 (based on power tower technology) and ANDASOL-1 (based on parabolic trough collector technology) have been taken as reference cases for this study. These two systems have been simulated at several Indian locations. The preliminary results indicate that the use of CSP technologies in India make financial sense for the north-western part of the country (particularly in Rajasthan and Gujarat states). Moreover, internalization of secondary benefits of carbon trading under clean development mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol further improves the financial feasibility of CSP systems at other locations considered in this study. It may be noted that the locations blessed with annual direct solar radiation more than 1800 k

Effect of cooling tower vapours on agriculture in the environment of power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seemann, J.

1976-01-01

The effect of cooling tower vapours according to investigations made so far are mainly noticeable regarding solar radiation, and this is practically merely in the immediate neighbourhood of the power plant. The effective influence on photosynthesis should be hardly detectable even in this limited area around the power plant. The effect on the temperature is minimum, the influence on the relative moisture is so small that it lies within the margin of error of measuring, with the exception of the few cases in which the vapours are pressed down to the ground. One need not reckon with an increased fungoid growth and bad drying conditions. Rainfall could be additionally increased if the weather situation is likely to rain or if it is raining anyway. Regarding fog frequency, one may assume that there might be a certain increase in fog. So far no cases are known in which fog would occur where there is no general tendency for fog formation. (orig.) [de

Domestic Material Content in Molten-Salt Concentrating Solar Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turchi, Craig [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kurup, Parthiv [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Akar, Sertac [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Flores, Francisco [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-08-26

This study lists material composition data for two concentrating solar power (CSP) plant designs: a molten-salt power tower and a hypothetical parabolic trough plant, both of which employ a molten salt for the heat transfer fluid (HTF) and thermal storage media. The two designs have equivalent generating and thermal energy storage capacities. The material content of the saltHTF trough plant was approximately 25% lower than a comparably sized conventional oil-HTF parabolic trough plant. The significant reduction in oil, salt, metal, and insulation mass by switching to a salt-HTF design is expected to reduce the capital cost and LCOE for the parabolic trough system.

Biocide usage in cooling towers in the electric power and petroleum refining industries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veil, J.; Rice, J.K.; Raivel, M.E.S.

1997-11-01

Cooling towers users frequently apply biocides to the circulating cooling water to control growth of microorganisms, algae, and macroorganisms. Because of the toxic properties of biocides, there is a potential for the regulatory controls on their use and discharge to become increasingly more stringent. This report examines the types of biocides used in cooling towers by companies in the electric power and petroleum refining industries, and the experiences those companies have had in dealing with agencies that regulate cooling tower blowdown discharges. Results from a sample of 67 electric power plants indicate that the use of oxidizing biocides (particularly chlorine) is favored. Quaternary ammonia salts (quats), a type of nonoxidizing biocide, are also used in many power plant cooling towers. The experience of dealing with regulators to obtain approval to discharge biocides differs significantly between the two industries. In the electric power industry, discharges of any new biocide typically must be approved in writing by the regulatory agency. The approval process for refineries is less formal. In most cases, the refinery must notify the regulatory agency that it is planning to use a new biocide, but the refinery does not need to get written approval before using it. The conclusion of the report is that few of the surveyed facilities are having any difficulty in using and discharging the biocides they want to use.

Solar Power Sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Katherine A.; Mentesidi, Konstantina; Yang, Yongheng

2017-01-01

a significant change. Beyond this energy transition, the still declining cost of the solar technology has become an important driving force for more solar-powered systems. However, high penetration of solar-powered systems also brings technical challenges to the entire energy systems. In order to fully address......Solar power is highly abundant, relatively reliable, and not limited to a geographic region, making it one of the most important renewable energy sources. Catering for a clean and green energy system, solar energy will be an active player in the future mixed power grid that is also undergoing...... those issues, the technological properties of solar power should be investigated. Thus, the basics of solar power technology will be introduced and discussed in this chapter....

Development of a solar-powered residential air conditioner: Screening analysis

Science.gov (United States)

1975-01-01

Screening analysis aimed at the definition of an optimum configuration of a Rankine cycle solar-powered air conditioner designed for residential application were conducted. Initial studies revealed that system performance and cost were extremely sensitive to condensing temperature and to the type of condenser used in the system. Consequently, the screening analyses were concerned with the generation of parametric design data for different condenser approaches; i. e., (1) an ambient air condenser, (2) a humidified ambient air condenser (3) an evaporative condenser, and (4) a water condenser (with a cooling tower). All systems feature a high performance turbocompressor and a single refrigerant (R-11) for the power and refrigeration loops. Data were obtained by computerized methods developed to permit system characterization over a broad range of operating and design conditions. The criteria used for comparison of the candidate system approaches were (1) overall system COP (refrigeration effect/solar heat input), (2) auxiliary electric power for fans and pumps, and (3) system installed cost or cost to the user.

Thermodynamic and economic analysis of a partially-underground tower-type boiler design for advanced double reheat power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Gang; Xu, Cheng; Yang, Yongping; Fang, Yaxiong; Zhou, Luyao; Yang, Zhiping

2015-01-01

An increasing number of tower-type boilers have been selected for advanced double reheat power plants, due to the uniform flue gas profile and the smooth steam temperature increase. The tall height and long steam pipelines lengths will however, result in dramatic increases in the difficulty of construction, as well as increased power plant investment cost. Given these factors, a novel partially-underground tower-type boiler design has been proposed in this study, which has nearly half of the boiler embedded underground, thereby significantly reducing the boiler height and steam pipeline lengths. Thermodynamic and economic analyses were quantitatively conducted on a 1000 MW advanced double reheat steam cycle. Results showed that compared to the reference power plant, the power plant with the proposed tower-type boiler design could reduce the net heat rate by 18.3 kJ/kWh and could reduce the cost of electricity (COE) by $0.60/MWh. The study also investigated the effects of price fluctuations on the cost-effectiveness of the reference power plant, for both the conventional and the proposed tower-type boilers designs, and found that the double reheat power plant with the proposed tower-type boiler design would be even more competitive and price-effective when the coal price and the investment costs increase. The research of this paper may provide a promising tower-type boiler design for advanced double reheat power plants with lower construction complexity and better cost-effectiveness. - Highlights: • A partially-underground tower-type boiler in double reheat power plants is proposed. for double reheat power plants is proposed. • Thermodynamic and economic analyses are quantitatively conducted. • Better energetic efficiency and greater economic benefits are achieved. • The impacts of price fluctuations on the economic feasibility are discussed

Characterization of Alternative Hybrid Solar Thermal Electric Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, T.A.

1999-01-01

Hybrid power towers offer a number of advantages over solar-only power tower systems for early commercial deployment of the technology. These advantages include enhanced modularity, reduced financial and technical risks, and lower energy costs. With the changes in the domestic and world markets for bulk power, hybrid power towers are likely to have the best opportunities for power projects. This paper discusses issues that are likely to be important to the deployment of hybrid power towers in the near future. A large number of alternative designs are possible, and it is likely that there is no single approach that can be considered best or optimal for all project opportunities. The preferred design will depend on the application, as well as the unique objectives and perspectives of the person evaluating the design

Computer optimization of dry and wet/dry cooling tower systems for large fossil and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, M.; Glicksman, L.R.

1979-02-01

This study determined the cost of dry cooling compared to the conventional cooling methods. Also, the savings by using wet/dry instead of all-dry cooling were determined. A total optimization was performed for power plants with dry cooling tower systems using metal-finned-tube heat exchangers and surface condensers. The optimization minimizes the power production cost. The program optimizes the design of the heat exchanger and its air and water flow rates. In the base case study, the method of replacing lost capacity assumes the use of gas turbines. As a result of using dry cooling towers in an 800 MWe fossil plant, the incremental costs with the use of high back pressure turbine and conventional turbine over all-wet cooling are 11 and 15%, respectively. For a 1200 MWe nuclear plant, these are 22 and 25%, respectively. Since the method of making up lost capacity depends on the situation of a utility, considerable effort has been placed on testing the effects of using different methods of replacing lost capacity at high ambient temperatures by purchased energy. The results indicate that the optimization is very sensitive to the method of making up lost capacity. It is, therefore, important to do an accurate representation of all possible methods of making up capacity loss when optimizating power plants with dry cooling towers. A solution for the problem of losing generation capability by a power plant due to the use of a dry cooling tower is to supplement the dry tower during the hours of peak ambient temperatures by a wet tower. A separate wet/dry cooling tower system with series tower arrangement was considered in this study, and proved to be an economic choice over all-dry cooling where some water is available but supplies are insufficient for a totally evaporative cooling tower

Concentrating Solar Power Projects - Khi Solar One | Concentrating Solar

Science.gov (United States)

Power | NREL Khi Solar One This page provides information on Khi Solar One, a concentrating solar power (CSP) project, with data organized by background, parcipants and power plant configuration . Status Date: February 8, 2016 Project Overview Project Name: Khi Solar One Country: South Africa Location

Concentrating Solar Power Projects - Nevada Solar One | Concentrating Solar

Science.gov (United States)

Power | NREL Nevada Solar One This page provides information on Nevada Solar One, a concentrating solar power (CSP) project, with data organized by background, participants, and power plant configuration. Acciona Energy's Nevada Solar One is the third largest CSP plant in the world and the first plant

View Factor of Solar Chimneys by Monte Carlo Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba Mir; Rezaniakolaei, Alireza; Rosendahl, Lasse Aistrup

2017-01-01

in the chimney base to generate electricity or ventilation of buildings. A part of the solar radiation is absorbed by solar collector directly, which is greater than which reflected by collector to the tower. But this amount of reflection can enhance the efficiency of the system. Determining more precise view......A typical solar chimney power plant (SCPP) system mainly contains three components, namely, solar collector, tower and turbine. The collector heats up ambient air entering to the system by buoyancy force. Updraft airflow is then generated in the chimney and drives the pressure-staged turbine...

Summary of the Solar Two Test and Evaluation Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

PACHECO,JAMES E.; REILLY,HUGH E.; KOLB,GREGORY J.; TYNER,CRAIG E.

2000-02-08

Solar Two was a collaborative, cost-shared project between eleven US industry and utility partners and the U. S. Department of Energy to validate molten-salt power tower technology. The Solar Two plant, located east of Barstow, CA, was comprised of 1926 heliostats, a receiver, a thermal storage system and a steam generation system. Molten nitrate salt was used as the heat transfer fluid and storage media. The steam generator powered a 10 MWe, conventional Rankine cycle turbine. Solar Two operated from June 1996 to April 1999. The major objective of the test and evaluation phase of the project was to validate the technical characteristics of a molten salt power tower. This paper describes the significant results from the test and evaluation activities.

Review on Water Distribution of Cooling Tower in Power Station

Science.gov (United States)

Huichao, Zhang; Lei, Fang; Hao, Guang; Ying, Niu

2018-04-01

As the energy sources situation is becoming more and more severe, the importance of energy conservation and emissions reduction gets clearer. Since the optimization of water distribution system of cooling tower in power station can save a great amount of energy, the research of water distribution system gets more attention nowadays. This paper summarizes the development process of counter-flow type natural draft wet cooling tower and the water distribution system, and introduces the related domestic and international research situation. Combining the current situation, we come to the conclusion about the advantages and disadvantages of the several major water distribution modes, and analyze the problems of the existing water distribution ways in engineering application, furthermore, we put forward the direction of water distribution mode development on the basis knowledge of water distribution of cooling tower. Due to the water system can hardly be optimized again when it’s built, choosing an appropriate water distribution mode according to actual condition seems to be more significant.

Who's hot, who's not? Effects of concentrating solar power heliostats on soil temperature at Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, Mojave Desert, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Grodsky, S.; Hernandez, R. R.

2017-12-01

Solar energy development may function as a contemporary, anthropogenic driver of disturbance when sited in natural ecosystems. Orientation and density of solar modules, including heliostats at concentrating solar power (CSP) facilities, may affect soils via shading and altered surface-water flow. Meanwhile, soil attributes like temperature and moisture may affect nutrient cycling, plant germination and growth, and soil biota. We tested effects of CSP heliostats on soil temperature at Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) in the Mojave Desert, USA. We implemented experimental treatments based on preconstruction rare plant [e.g., Mojave milkweed (Asclepias nyctaginifolia)] protection areas (hereafter "halos"), site preparation activities, and heliostat density throughout three, replicated CSP blocks (i.e., tower and associated heliostats), including: (1) No Halos (Bladed) - high site preparation intensity, high heliostat density immediately surrounding towers; (2) No Halos (Mowed) - moderate site preparation intensity, moderate to low heliostat density as distance increases from towers; and (3) Halos - no site preparation, no heliostats. We also established control sites within 1,600 km of ISEGS in undisturbed desert. We observed significant differences in soil temperature across treatments. We recorded significantly lower soil temperatures in the No Halos (Bladed) treatments (26.7°C) and No Halos (Mowed) treatments (29.9°C) than in the Halos treatments (32.9°C) and controls (32.1°C). We also determined that soil temperatures in the Halos treatments and controls did not significantly differ. Our results indicated that shading from high-density heliostat configuration significantly reduced soil temperature relative to low-density heliostat configuration and areas without CSP. Shading from heliostats and consequential fluctuation in soil temperatures may affect local-scale distribution of flora and fauna, leading to altered "bottom-up" ecological

Power generation from wind turbines in a solar chimney

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foote, Tudor [Graduate Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, Jolley Hall, Campus Box 1185, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, 63130 (United States); Agarwal, Ramesh K. [William Palm Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, Jolley Hall, Campus Box 1185, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, 63130 (United States)

2013-07-01

Recent studies have shown that shrouded wind turbines can generate greater power compared to bare turbines. A solar chimney generates an upward draft of wind inside a tower and a shroud around the wind turbine. There are numerous empty silos on farms in the U.S. that can be converted to solar chimneys with minor modifications at modest cost. The objective of this study is to determine the potential of these silos/chimneys for generating wind power. The study is conducted through analytical/computational approach by employing the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. Computations are performed for five different geometric configurations consisting of a turbine, a cylindrical silo, and/or a venturi and/or a diffuser using the dimensions of typical silos and assuming Class 3 wind velocity. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with the Boussinesq approximation and a two equation realizable {kappa}-{epsilon} model are employed in the calculations, and the turbine is modeled as an actuator disk. The power coefficient (Cp) and generated power are calculated for the five cases. Consistent with recent literature, it was found that the silos with diffusers increase the Cp beyond Betz’s limit significantly and thus the generated power. It should be noted that Cp is calculated by normalizing it by the turbine area swept by the wind. This study shows the potential of using abandoned silos in the mid-west and other parts of the country for localized wind power generation.

A Solar Chimney for renewable energy production: thermo-fluid dynamic optimization by CFD analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Montelpare, S.; D'Alessandro, V.; Zoppi, A.; Costanzo, E.

2017-11-01

This paper analyzes the performance of a solar tower designed for renewable energy production. The Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) involves technology that converts solar energy by means of three basic components: a large circular solar collector, a high tower in the center of the collector and a turbine generator inside the chimney. SCPPs are characterized by long term operational life, low maintenance costs, zero use of fuels, no use of water and no emissions of greenhouse gases. The main problem of this technology is the low energy global conversion coefficient due to the presence of four conversions: solar radiation > thermal energy > kinetic energy > mechanical energy > electric energy. This paper defines its starting point from the well known power plant of Manzanares in order to calibrate a numerical model based on finite volumes. Following that, a solar tower with reduced dimensions was designed and an analysis on various geometric parameters was conducted: on the inlet section, on the collector slope, and on the fillet radius among the SUPP sections. Once the optimal solution was identified, a curved deflectors able to induce a flow swirl along the vertical tower axis was designed.

Concentrated solar power generation using solar receivers

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Bruce N.; Treece, William Dean; Brown, Dan; Bennhold, Florian; Hilgert, Christoph

2017-08-08

Inventive concentrated solar power systems using solar receivers, and related devices and methods, are generally described. Low pressure solar receivers are provided that function to convert solar radiation energy to thermal energy of a working fluid, e.g., a working fluid of a power generation or thermal storage system. In some embodiments, low pressure solar receivers are provided herein that are useful in conjunction with gas turbine based power generation systems.

Stray current induced corrosion in lightning rod cables of 525 kV power lines towers: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojcicki, F. R.; Negrisoli, M. E. M.; Franco, C. V.

2003-01-01

With the growth of several areas in modern society, the necessity to generate and carry electrical energy to big cities has greatly increased. Cables supported by power towers with galvanized steel foundation usually carry energy. As the foundations are underground they may cause high rates of corrosion. These are usually detected by a conventional potential measurement using a Cu/CuSO 4 reference electrode. It is believed that corrosion results from stray currents that flow through the ground to close the loop between neighboring towers. Stray currents originate in the lightning rod cables of the power line towers, induced by the strong electromagnetic and electric fields of the energized power lines. The intensity and direction of those currents were measured, indicating substantial values of both their AC and DC components. The potential of the tower ground system, measured in the perpendicular direction of the main axis of the power line, was plotted as a function of the distance to the tower base. The results clearly indicated the tendency to corrosive attack in the anodic towers as reflected by the slope of the plot, whereas no signs of corrosion could be found in the reverse slope, confirming the visual inspection of the foundation. The profile of the potential plots could be changed providing the electric insulation of the lightning rod cable. (Author) 8 refs

Concentrating Solar Power Projects - KaXu Solar One | Concentrating Solar

Science.gov (United States)

Power | NREL KaXu Solar One This page provides information on KaXu Solar One, a concentrating solar power (CSP) project, with data organized by background, parcipants and power plant configuration . Status Date: April 14, 2015 Project Overview Project Name: KaXu Solar One Country: South Africa Location

Life Cycle Environmental Impacts Resulting from the Manufacture of the Heliostat Field for a Reference Power Tower Design in the United States: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heath, G.; Burkhardt, J.; Turchi, C.

2012-10-01

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is recognized as a useful analytical approach for quantifying environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies, including concentrating solar power (CSP). An LCA accounts for impacts from all stages in the development, operation, and decommissioning of a CSP plant, including such upstream stages as the extraction of raw materials used in system components, manufacturing of those components, and construction of the plant. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is conducting a series of LCA studies for various CSP technologies. This paper contributes to a thorough LCA of a 100 MWnet molten salt power tower CSP plant by estimating the environmental impacts resulting from the manufacture of heliostats. Three life cycle metrics are evaluated: greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and cumulative energy demand. The heliostat under consideration (the 148 m2 Advanced Thermal Systems heliostat) emits 5,300 kg CO2eq, consumes 274 m3 of water, and requires 159,000 MJeq during its manufacture. Future work will incorporate the results from this study into the LCA model used to estimate the life cycle impacts of the entire 100 MWnet power tower CSP plant.

Solar Tower Experiments for Radiometric Calibration and Validation of Infrared Imaging Assets and Analysis Tools for Entry Aero-Heating Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Splinter, Scott C.; Daryabeigi, Kamran; Horvath, Thomas J.; Mercer, David C.; Ghanbari, Cheryl M.; Ross, Martin N.; Tietjen, Alan; Schwartz, Richard J.

2008-01-01

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center sponsored Hypersonic Thermodynamic Infrared Measurements assessment team has a task to perform radiometric calibration and validation of land-based and airborne infrared imaging assets and tools for remote thermographic imaging. The IR assets and tools will be used for thermographic imaging of the Space Shuttle Orbiter during entry aero-heating to provide flight boundary layer transition thermography data that could be utilized for calibration and validation of empirical and theoretical aero-heating tools. A series of tests at the Sandia National Laboratories National Solar Thermal Test Facility were designed for this task where reflected solar radiation from a field of heliostats was used to heat a 4 foot by 4 foot test panel consisting of LI 900 ceramic tiles located on top of the 200 foot tall Solar Tower. The test panel provided an Orbiter-like entry temperature for the purposes of radiometric calibration and validation. The Solar Tower provided an ideal test bed for this series of radiometric calibration and validation tests because it had the potential to rapidly heat the large test panel to spatially uniform and non-uniform elevated temperatures. Also, the unsheltered-open-air environment of the Solar Tower was conducive to obtaining unobstructed radiometric data by land-based and airborne IR imaging assets. Various thermocouples installed on the test panel and an infrared imager located in close proximity to the test panel were used to obtain surface temperature measurements for evaluation and calibration of the radiometric data from the infrared imaging assets. The overall test environment, test article, test approach, and typical test results are discussed.

Optimization of a combined solar chimney for desalination and power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asayesh, Mohammad; Kasaeian, Alibakhsh; Ataei, Abtin

2017-01-01

Highlights: • One dimensional code is developed for simulation of a hybrid solar chimney. • The code is validated using experimental data of a simple solar chimney. • Partial coverage of the collector area by the desalination system is more beneficial. • The optimal configuration of the combined system is found using PSO algorithm. - Abstract: Large footprint and very low efficiency are main disadvantages of solar chimneys. To resolve this, solar desalination system has been added under the collector of a solar chimney power plant. Generally the collector ground is completely covered by the desalination pond but here it is shown that more benefit can be achieved by partial occupation of the collector area. This is performed by implementing the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm in conjunction with a one dimensional simulation code. The code is first validated using data of a laboratory scale solar chimney. Then, optimization results show that for a collector diameter of 250 m and tower height of 200 m, a solar pond located between radii 85 and 125 m of the collector can maximize the outcome of the combined system. Generally, dimensions of the desalination system depend on local cost of building the system and price of electricity and fresh water produced.

Sea-water intake tower works for Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station No. 2 Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sataki, N; Sugaya, Y; Sugimoto, T [Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc., Nagoya (Japan)

1976-01-01

It was determined to adopt tunnel system based on the conclusion of negotiation with local people, specifically fishermen, for the sea water intake arrangement in Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station. The main factors for determining the location of the intake tower included marine conditions such as waves and littoral sand drift, and the sea-bottom topographic features and geology of tunnel route, for which field examination, hydraulic experiments and the research and investigation on the method of construction were carried out. These results in the No.2 tower installation at the point 65 m to the east of the No.1 tower. The construction of the tower is described on the manufacture and conveyance of steel caisson, land works at Omaezaki and temporary assembly works on the sea. Then the details of tower installation and the works on site are reported. Fortunately the difficult sea works have been satisfactorily completed earlier than planned, without any accident. The construction facilities utilizing a pilot tunnel seem to have made the better achievement than expected. In spite of the results, the lifting up, off-shore conveyance, and installation of the intake tower caisson, a superheavy structure of weighting up to total 2900 ton, were critical works.

Sea-water intake tower works for Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station No. 2 Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satake, Norimoto; Sugaya, Yoshinobu; Sugimoto, Tadao

1976-01-01

It was determined to adopt tunnel system based on the conclusion of negotiation with local people, specifically fishermen, for the sea water intake arrangement in Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station. The main factors for determining the location of the intake tower included marine conditions such as waves and littoral sand drift, and the sea-bottom topographic features and geology of tunnel route, for which field examination, hydraulic experiments and the research and investigation on the method of construction were carried out. These results in the No.2 tower installation at the point 65 m to the east of the No.1 tower. The construction of the tower is described on the manufacture and conveyance of steel caisson, land works at Omaezaki and temporary assembly works on the sea. Then the details of tower installation and the works on site are reported. Fortunately the difficult sea works have been satisfactorily completed earlier than planned, without any accident. The construction facilities utilizing a pilot tunnel seem to have made the better achievement than expected. In spite of the results, the lifting up, off-shore conveyance, and installation of the intake tower caisson, a superheavy structure of weighting up to total 2900 ton, were critical works. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Numerical simulation of heat transfer process in solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower with radiation model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qiuhuan; Zhu, Jialing; Lu, Xinli

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: A 3-D numerical model integrated with a discrete ordinate (DO) solar radiation model (considering solar radiation effect in the room of solar collector) was developed to investigate the influence of solar radiation intensity and ambient pressure on the efficiency and thermal characteristics of the SENDDCT. Our study shows that introducing such a radiation model can more accurately simulate the heat transfer process in the SENDDCT. Calculation results indicate that previous simulations overestimated solar energy obtained by the solar collector and underestimated the heat loss. The cooling performance is improved when the solar radiation intensity or ambient pressure is high. Air temperature and velocity increase with the increase of solar radiation intensity. But ambient pressure has inverse effects on the changes of air temperature and velocity. Under a condition that the solar load increases but the ambient pressure decreases, the increased rate of heat transferred in the heat exchanger is not obvious. Thus the performance of the SENDDCT not only depends on the solar radiation intensity but also depends on the ambient pressure. - Highlights: • A radiation model has been introduced to accurately simulate heat transfer process. • Heat transfer rate would be overestimated if the radiation model was not introduced. • The heat transfer rate is approximately proportional to solar radiation intensity. • The higher the solar radiation or ambient pressure, the better SENDDCT performance. - Abstract: Solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower (SENDDCT) is more efficient than natural draft dry cooling tower by utilizing solar radiation in arid region. A three-dimensional numerical model considering solar radiation effect was developed to investigate the influence of solar radiation intensity and ambient pressure on the efficiency and thermal characteristics of SENDDCT. The numerical simulation outcomes reveal that a model with consideration of

Induced draught circular cooling tower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanquet, J.C.

1980-01-01

Induced draught atmospheric cooling towers are described, to wit those in which the circulation is by power fans. This technique with fans grouped together in the centre enables a single tower to be used and provides an excellent integration of the steam wreath into the atmosphere. This type of cooling tower has been chosen for fitting out two 900 MW units of the Chinon power station in France [fr

Solar thermal aided power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Eric; Yang, YongPing; Nishimura, Akira; Yilmaz, Ferdi; Kouzani, Abbas

2010-01-01

Fossil fuel based power generation is and will still be the back bone of our world economy, albeit such form of power generation significantly contributes to global CO 2 emissions. Solar energy is a clean, environmental friendly energy source for power generation, however solar photovoltaic electricity generation is not practical for large commercial scales due to its cost and high-tech nature. Solar thermal is another way to use solar energy to generate power. Many attempts to establish solar (solo) thermal power stations have been practiced all over the world. Although there are some advantages in solo solar thermal power systems, the efficiencies and costs of these systems are not so attractive. Alternately by modifying, if possible, the existing coal-fired power stations to generate green sustainable power, a much more efficient means of power generation can be reached. This paper presents the concept of solar aided power generation in conventional coal-fired power stations, i.e., integrating solar (thermal) energy into conventional fossil fuelled power generation cycles (termed as solar aided thermal power). The solar aided power generation (SAPG) concept has technically been derived to use the strong points of the two technologies (traditional regenerative Rankine cycle with relatively higher efficiency and solar heating at relatively low temperature range). The SAPG does not only contribute to increase the efficiencies of the conventional power station and reduce its emission of the greenhouse gases, but also provides a better way to use solar heat to generate the power. This paper presents the advantages of the SAPG at conceptual level.

Solar thermal power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnatbaum, L.

2009-01-01

The solar thermal power plant technology, the opportunities it presents and the developments in the market are outlined. The focus is on the technology of parabolic trough power plants, a proven technology for solar power generation on a large scale. In a parabolic trough power plant, trough-shaped mirrors concentrate the solar irradiation onto a pipe in the focal line of the collector. The thermal energy thus generated is used for electricity generation in a steam turbine. Parabolic trough plants can be combined with thermal storage and fossil or biomass fired heat exchangers to generate electricity even when the sun is not shining. Solar Millennium AG in Erlangen has developed the first power plant of this kind in Europe. After two years of construction the plant started operation in Southern Spain in 2008. This one and its sister projects are important steps leading the way for the whole market. The paper also covers the technological challenges, the key components used and the research and development activities concerning this technology. Solar thermal power plants are ideal for covering peak and medium loads in power grids. In hybrid operation they can also cover base-load. The Solar Chimney power plant, another striking technology for the conversion of solar into electric energy, is described briefly. The paper concludes with a look at the future - the import of solar energy from the deserts of North Africa to central Europe. (author)

Solar power role in the future power engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strebkov, D.S.

2006-01-01

One studied the most essential factors, materials and processes governing the role of the solar power in the future power generation. Paper describes new principles to convert solar energy, to produce solar silicon and solar elements, to encapsulate solar modules, to make use of stationary solar concentrators [ru

Dynamic Analysis of Wind Power Turbine's Tower under the Combined Action of Winds and Waves

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CHENG You-liang; QU Jiang-man; XUE Zhan-pu; JIANG Yan

2017-01-01

To deal with the dynamic response problem of offshore wind power tower under the combined action of winds and waves,finite element method is used to analyze the structure and flow field around the outside flange of the segmentation part.The changes of pressure distribution and vorticity about the outside flange are obtained.Focused on the analysis on the change of hydrostatic pressure and temperature of the tower cut surface,contour lines under the combined action of winds and waves are depicted.Results show that the surface of the offshore wind turbine tower presents instable temperature field when it suffers the action of winds and waves loads,the static pressure increases nonlinearly with the increase of altitude,the fluid vorticity around the outside flange follows an parabolic curve approximately.Results provide a reference for the actual monitoring data of the offshore wind turbine tower under the combined action of winds and waves,so as to ensure the normal operation of tower.

Surface net solar radiation estimated from satellite measurements - Comparisons with tower observations

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhanqing; Leighton, H. G.; Cess, Robert D.

1993-01-01

A parameterization that relates the reflected solar flux at the top of the atmosphere to the net solar flux at the surface in terms of only the column water vapor amount and the solar zenith angle was tested against surface observations. Net surface fluxes deduced from coincidental collocated satellite-measured radiances and from measurements from towers in Boulder during summer and near Saskatoon in winter have mean differences of about 2 W/sq m, regardless of whether the sky is clear or cloudy. Furthermore, comparisons between the net fluxes deduced from the parameterization and from surface measurements showed equally good agreement when the data were partitioned into morning and afternoon observations. This is in contrast to results from an empirical clear-sky algorithm that is unable to account adequately for the effects of clouds and that shows, at Boulder, a distinct morning to afternoon variation. It is also demonstrated that the parameterization may be applied to irradiances at the top of the atmosphere that have been temporally averaged. The good agreement between the results of the parameterization and surface measurements suggests that the algorithm is a useful tool for a variety of climate studies.

Structure of natural draft cooling towers, 1. Study on cooling tower shells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishioka, H; Sakamoto, Y; Tsurusaki, M; Koshizawa, K; Chiba, T [Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1976-09-01

Recently in Japan, demands for cooling tower systems have been increasing remarkably with the construction of large power plants and the legislation of environmental regulations. In view of the severe natural conditions in Japan such as strong wind and seismic loadings, etc., the establishment of the optimum design and construction method is essential for the building of safe and economical towers. In order to establish a comprehensive plan of a power plant cooling system of the appropriate structural type, the authors have made researches and experiments on design conditions, static and dynamic analyses, and comparative studies of various structural types such as reinforced concrete thin-shell structures, steel framed structures and composite shell segment structures, based on the investigation results of towers in Europe and America. These results are presented in three reports, the 1st of which concerns cooling tower shells as are herein described.

Achievement report on the development of solar thermal electric power plant technologies. Annex; Taiyonetsu hatsuden plant gijutsu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Fuzoku shiryo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1985-07-01

The two solar thermal electric power pilot plants are of the tower concentration type and the flat/curved surface concentration type. For the first time in the world, they succeeded in operating at a rated output of 1,000kW in August and September, 1981, respectively. Sunshine was inputted at an unstable rate, and the plants were operated under various load patterns. Studies were conducted and an optimum operating technique is established. Since designing, construction, and operation were carried for two types of pilot plants, quantities of useful data were collected through a variety of experiences. Valuable hints and design data were provided for use in the construction of full-scale power plants in the future. Element units developed for the plants were high-reflectance mirrors, high-precision tracking mechanisms, solar heat collectors of the cavity type and paraboloidal type, and molten salt heat accumulators. The tower concentration type plant exhibits a power generation efficiency of 16-17% and an overall plant efficiency of 3.1-4.4%. The maximum overall efficiency a month is 3.9% with the flat/curved surface concentration type plant. (NEDO)

Performance test of solar-assisted ejector cooling system

KAUST Repository

Huang, Bin-Juine

2014-03-01

A solar-assisted ejector cooling/heating system (SACH-2k) is built and test result is reported. The solar-driven ejector cooling system (ECS) is connected in series with an inverter-type air conditioner (IAC). Several advanced technologies are developed in SACH-k2, including generator liquid level control in ECS, the ECS evaporator temperature control, and optimal control of fan power in cooling tower of ECS. From the field test results, the generator liquid level control performs quite well and keeps stable performance of ejector. The ECS evaporator temperature control also performs satisfactorily to keep ejector performance normally under low or fluctuating solar radiation. The fan power control system cooling tower performs stably and reduces the power consumption dramatically without affecting the ECS performance. The test results show that the overall system COPo including power consumptions of peripheral increases from 2.94-3.3 (IAC alone) to 4.06-4.5 (SACH-k2), about 33-43%. The highest COPo is 4.5. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.

A new code for the design and analysis of the heliostat field layout for power tower system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei, Xiudong; Lu, Zhenwu; Yu, Weixing [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); Wang, Zhifeng [The Key Laboratory of Solar Thermal Energy and Photovoltaic system, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

2010-04-15

A new code for the design and analysis of the heliostat field layout for power tower system is developed. In the new code, a new method for the heliostat field layout is proposed based on the edge ray principle of nonimaging optics. The heliostat field boundary is constrained by the tower height, the receiver tilt angle and size and the heliostat efficiency factor which is the product of the annual cosine efficiency and the annual atmospheric transmission efficiency. With the new method, the heliostat can be placed with a higher efficiency and a faster response speed of the design and optimization can be obtained. A new module for the analysis of the aspherical heliostat is created in the new code. A new toroidal heliostat field is designed and analyzed by using the new code. Compared with the spherical heliostat, the solar image radius of the field is reduced by about 30% by using the toroidal heliostat if the mirror shape and the tracking are ideal. In addition, to maximize the utilization of land, suitable crops can be considered to be planted under heliostats. To evaluate the feasibility of the crop growth, a method for calculating the annual distribution of sunshine duration on the land surface is developed as well. (author)

Proceedings: Cooling tower and advanced cooling systems conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-02-01

This Cooling Tower and Advanced Cooling Systems Conference was held August 30 through September 1, 1994, in St. Petersburg, Florida. The conference was sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and hosted by Florida Power Corporation to bring together utility representatives, manufacturers, researchers, and consultants. Nineteen technical papers were presented in four sessions. These sessions were devoted to the following topics: cooling tower upgrades and retrofits, cooling tower performance, cooling tower fouling, and dry and hybrid systems. On the final day, panel discussions addressed current issues in cooling tower operation and maintenance as well as research and technology needs for power plant cooling. More than 100 people attended the conference. This report contains the technical papers presented at the conference. Of the 19 papers, five concern cooling tower upgrades and retrofits, five to cooling tower performance, four discuss cooling tower fouling, and five describe dry and hybrid cooling systems. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database

Rehabilitation of two natural draught cooling towers at Grohnde 1300 MW nuclear power station, taking into account a completely new concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwickert, M.; Meyer, V.

1992-01-01

The natural draught cooling towers for Grohnde Nuclear Power Station were completed in 1983. During the operating period from 1984 to 1990, partial areas of these cooling tower structures collapsed. A combination of high performance cooling installations with so-called spray screens were offered for the necessary rehabilitation. Since rehabilitation of both cooling towers had to be carried out during the operation of the power station, parts of the surfaces of the cooling towers were closed off in order to be able to carry out the difficult installation of the structures. Acceptance measurements have confirmed the thermodynamic calculations. (orig.) [de

Surface Net Solar Radiation Estimated from Satellite Measurements: Comparisons with Tower Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhanqing; Leighton, H. G.; Cess, Robert D.

1993-01-01

A parameterization that relates the reflected solar flux at the top of the atmosphere to the net solar flux at the surface in terms of only the column water vapor amount and the solar zenith angle was tested against surface observations. Net surface fluxes deduced from coincidental collocated satellite-measured radiances and from measurements from towers in Boulder during summer and near Saskatoon in winter have mean differences of about 2 W/sq m, regardless of whether the sky is clear or cloudy. Furthermore, comparisons between the net fluxes deduced from the parameterization and from surface measurements showed equally good agreement when the data were partitioned into morning and afternoon observations. This is in contrast to results from an empirical clear-sky algorithm that is unable to account adequately for the effects of clouds and that shows, at Boulder, a distinct morning to afternoon variation, which is presumably due to the predominance of different cloud types throughout the day. It is also demonstrated that the parameterization may be applied to irradiances at the top of the atmosphere that have been temporally averaged by using the temporally averaged column water vapor amount and the temporally averaged cosine of the solar zenith angle. The good agreement between the results of the parameterization and surface measurements suggests that the algorithm is a useful tool for a variety of climate studies.

Applications of the use of the renewable energies, solar power and wind power, for the securing of hydrogen, as power supply of the fuel cells; Obtencion de hidrogeno, a partir de la electrolisis del agua mediante energias renovables almacenamiento y aplicaciones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

San Martin, J. J.; Martin, I.; Aperribay, V.; San Martin, J. I.; Arrieta, J. M.; Zuazua, J.; Romero, E.

2004-07-01

The object of the presented communication is to show the applications of the use of the renewable energies, particularly the solar power and the wind power, for the securing of hydrogen, as power supply of the fuel cells. The electrical energy produced in the solar badges and in the windpowers is, principally, injected into the electrical networks, for his transport, distribution and consumption, if the network the demand. The novel aspect is, that if the network does not demand potency, this one is transformed into hydrogen at the same photovoltaic station or into the base of the tower of the windpower and, later, stored to feed the fuel cells, not producing to him any type of element pollutant, since the residual element is the water. (Author)

Legionella control in power station cooling towers using oxidising biocides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sailer, Christian; Rawlinson, Julia; Killeen, Paul [Ecolab PTY LTD, Ascot, WA (Australia)

2009-02-15

Power stations have used oxidising biocides such as chlorine or bromine for many years to control microbial growth in their cooling towers. In this paper Ecolab trademark looks at the direct effect halogen concentration has on Legionella populations in order to determine the most effective halogenation rate required to ensure that the site key performance indicator (KPI) of < 100 colony-forming units (cfu) per mL can be maintained. (orig.)

The ring-stiffened shell of the ISAR II nuclear power plant natural-draught cooling tower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Form, J.

1986-01-01

The natural-draught cooling tower of the ISAR II nuclear power plant is one of the largest in the world. The bid specifications provided for an unstiffened cooling tower shell. For the execution, however, it was decided to adopt a shell with three additional stiffening rings. The present contribution deals with the static and dynamic calculations of the execution and, in particular, with the working technique employed for the construction of the rings. (author)

IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEMS OF TECHNICAL WATER SUPPLY WITH COOLING TOWERS FOR STEAM POWER PLANTS TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS PERFECTION. Part 1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. A. Zenovich-Leshkevich-Olpinskiy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to reduce the temperature of cooling water and increase the efficiency of use of power resources the main directions of modernization of systems of technical water supply with cooling towers at steam power plants are presented. The problems of operation of irrigation systems and water distribution systems of cooling towers are reviewed. The design of heat and mass transfer devices, their shortcomings and the impact on the cooling ability of the cooling tower are also under analysis. The use of droplet heat and mass transfer device based on the lattice polypropylene virtually eliminates the shortcomings of the film and droplet-film heat and mass transfer devices of the cooling tower, increasing lifetime, and improving the reliability and efficiency of the operation of the main equipment of thermal power plants. The design of the water distribution devices of cooling towers is also considered. It is noted that the most effective are water-spattering low-pressure nozzles made of polypropylene that provides uniform dispersion of water and are of a high reliability and durability.

Solar power in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vesa, A.M.

2004-01-01

Solar cells, or photovoltaic units, have provided a useful supply of energy for low-power, non-gridconnected applications in Finland for some years. Applications have included navigational buoys, base stations for mobile phone networks, and appliances in holiday homes. Solar-powered systems have also been used in connection with grid power for over a decade, in Finland and elsewhere, and have proved generally successful - and solar energy is emerging as an increasingly interesting alternative for distributed electricity generation

Solar powered dugout aeration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murrell, S.

2001-10-01

Pasture dugouts are a significant source of water for livestock on the Canadian Prairies and as such, must maintain the best water quality possible. Aeration improves the water quality and is part of a good management plan to reduce overall water treatment costs. Although dugouts can be aerated naturally through wind and wave action and photosynthesis, this generally aerates only the top portion of the dugout. Artificial aeration by air injection into the lowest point of the dugout ensures that the water is oxygenated throughout the entire dugout. Solar aeration can be used in remote areas where grid power is not practical. With solar powered aeration systems, solar panels are used to generate the electrical power needed to run the compressor while storing excess energy in batteries. A solar aeration system includes solar panels, deep cycle batteries to store excess power, a control board with a regulator, a compressor, a weighed feeder hose, and an air diffuser. This publication presented the design of a solar aeration system and its cost. 1 tab., 3 figs

Lightning current distribution to ground at a power line tower carrying a radio base station

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grcev, L.; Deursen, van A.P.J.; Waes, van J.B.M.

2005-01-01

Radio base stations are often mounted on towers of power transmission lines. They are usually powered from the low-voltage network through an isolating transformer, to separate the high- and low-voltage networks. The isolating transformer ensures security at customers' premises in the case of nearby

Physical parameters of effluent from nuclear power station cooling towers; Fizicki parametri efluenata iz rashladnih tornjeva nuklearne elektrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vehauc, A [Institute of Nuclear Sciences VINCA, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

1992-07-01

Physical parameters of the effluent dispersed from the wet cooling towers, i.e. mixture of the warm moist air with the entrained droplets are analysed. Understanding of the effluent physical parameters at the exit of cooling tower is important for prediction of the effluent dispersion in the environment. Mass and droplet diameter distributors of the drifted cooling water are measured in situ and also, drift eliminators are characterised experimentally. A new numerical method for heat and mass transfer evaluation in the cooling tower packing (fill) was developed, that leads to more accurate prediction for outlet air parameters in relation of plant power rate, cooling tower characteristics and atmospheric conditions. (author)

Plataforma Solar de Almeria. Annual report 1997-1998. Final report; Plataforma Solar de Almeria. Haushaltsjahre 1997-1998. Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-10-01

The performance and yields of thes following units and components are described: (a) Tower focus power plants and their components (TSA; RAS; Large Heliostat technology Program; Volumetric Receivers; REFOS); (b) Solar trough power stations and their components (DISS - Direct solar evaporation; ARDISS/PAREX test facility; EUROTROUGH - development of a cost-optimized European parabolic trough collector); (c) Solar chemistry (photocatalytic detoxification; solar synthesis of fine chemicals); (d) Dish/Stirling systems (HYHPIRE); (e) AP solar thermal technology transfer in the Mediterranean (THESEUS 50 MW{sub el} THErmal Solar European Power Statio at Frangokastello, Crete; SolWin; World-wide market introduction of solar thermal power stations). [German] Der bisher erzielter Erfolg und seine Auswirkungen wird fuer die folgenden Anlagen und Komponenten beschrieben. Diese sind: (a) Turmkraftwerke und deren Komponenten (TSA; RAS; Large Heliostat Technology Program; Volumetrische Receiver; REFOS), (b) Rinnenkraftwerke und deren Komponenten (DISS - Solare Direktverdampfung; ARDISS/PAREX Versuchsanlage; EUROTROUGH - Entwicklung eines kostenoptimierten europaeischen Parabolrinnenkollektors), (c) Solare Chemie (Photokatalytische Detoxifikation; Solare Synthese von Feinchemikalien), (d) Dish/Stirling Systeme (HYHPIRE), (e) AP Solarthermischer Technologietransfer im Mittelmeerraum (THESEUS - 50 MW{sub el} THErmal Solar European Power Station in Frangokastello, Kreta; SolWin; Weltweite Markteinfuehrung solarthermischer Kraftwerkstechnologie). (orig./AKF)

Large-scale use of solar energy with central receivers

Science.gov (United States)

Kreith, F.; Meyer, R. T.

1983-12-01

The working principles of solar central receiver power plants are outlined and applications are discussed. Heliostat arrays direct sunlight into a receiver cavity mounted on a tower, heating the working fluid in the tower to temperatures exceeding 500 C. The formulation for the image plane and the geometric concentration ratio for a heliostat field are provided, noting that commercial electric power plants will require concentration ratios of 200-1000. Automated controls consider imperfections in the mirrors, tracking errors, and seasonal insolation intensity and angular variations. Membranes may be used instead of rigid heliostat mirrors to reduce costs, while trade-offs exist between the efficiencies of cavity and exterior receivers on the tower. Sensible heat storage has proved most effective for cloudy or nighttime operations. Details of the DOE Solar One 10 MW plant, which began operation in 1982, are provided, with mention given to the 33.6 continuous hours of power generation that have been achieved. Projected costs of commercial installations are $700/kWt, and possible applications include recovering and refining oil, processing natural gas, uranium ore, and sugar cane, drying gypsum board, and manufacturing ammonia.

Natural draft dry-type cooling tower for steam power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nasser, G.

1976-01-01

The task to build natural-draught dry cooling towers for large steam power plants as simple, compact, and economical as possible may be achieved by a combination of known features with the aid of the present application: the condenser elements built as piles of corrugated plates are arranged in the form of a truncated pyramid widened towards the top. For the cooling-air flow inlet openings for hot gas supplied from the lower part of the dome are provided. (UWI) [de

Improving performance and reducing costs of cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartz, J.A.

1992-01-01

Cooling towers represent a significant capital investment at a steam electric power station. In addition, deficiencies in thermal performance can result in major operating penalties of fuel cost, replacement energy, and capacity addition. This paper summarizes two recent EPRI research projects aimed at reducing thermal performance deficiencies and decreasing installed costs of evaporative cooling towers. First, EPRI Research Project 2113, Cooling Tower Performance Prediction and Improvement, is summarized. This project has resulted in published data sets on the measured thermal performance characteristics of a variety of cooling tower packings, computer codes to predict tower performance, and computer code validation through large-scale tower performance measurements. Principal results are contained in an EPRIGEMS software module, Cooling Tower Advisor. This PC- based software contains a tutorial plus codes to predict tower thermal performance, arranged in a user-friendly format. The second EPRI effort, Research Project 2819-10/11, Fabric Structures for Power Plant Applications, has resulted in designs and costs of large structures with shells constructed of recently-developed fabrics. Primary power plant applications for such structures are the shells of natural draft cooling towers and coal-pile covers. Fabric structures offer low initial cost, acceptable life, and seismic superiority, among other advantages. Detailed conceptual designs and installed cost data are reviewed. 8 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs

Assessment of cooling tower impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

This guideline describes the state of the art of the meteorological impact of wet cooling towers that are about 80 m to 170 m high, and have a waste heat power in the range of 1000 MW and 2500 MW. The physical processes occurring in the lowest layer of the atmosphere and their impact in the dispersion of cooling tower emissions are represented. On the basis of these facts, the impact on weather or climate in the vicinity of a high wet cooling tower is estimated. Thereby the results of the latest investigations (observations, measurements, and modeling) on the different locations of plants as well as their different power and construction types are taken into consideration. (orig.) [de

An artificial vision-based control system for automatic heliostat positioning offset correction in a central receiver solar power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berenguel, M. [Universidad de Almeria, Dept. de Lenguajes y Computacion, La Canada Almeria (Spain); Rubio, F.R.; Lara, P.J.; Arahal, M.R.; Camacho, E.F.; Lopez, M. [Universidad de Sevilla, Dept. de Ingenieria de Sistemas y Automatica, Sevilla (Spain); Valverde, A. [Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA-CIEMAT), Tabernas (Almeria) (Spain)

2004-07-01

This paper presents the development of a simplified and automatic heliostat positioning offset correction control system using artificial vision techniques and common CCD devices. The heliostats of a solar power plant reflect solar radiation onto a receiver (in this case, a volumetric receiver) placed at the top of a tower in order to provide a desired energy flux distribution correlated with the coolant flow (in this case air mass flow) through the receiver, usually in an open loop control configuration. There exist error sources that increase the complexity of the control system, some of which are systematic ones, mainly due to tolerances, wrong mirror facets alignment (optical errors), errors due to the approximations made when calculating the solar position, etc., that produce errors (offsets) in the heliostat orientation (aiming point). The approximation adopted in this paper is based on the use of a B/W CCD camera to correct these deviations in an automatic way imitating the same procedure followed by the operators. The obtained images are used to estimate the distance between the sunbeam centroid projected by the heliostats and a target placed on the tower, this distance thus is used for low accuracy offset correction purposes. Basic threshold-based image processing techniques are used for automatic correction. (Author)

Analysis of Ideal Towers for Tall Wind Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dykes, Katherine L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Damiani, Rick R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Roberts, Joseph O [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lantz, Eric J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-01-12

Innovation in wind turbine tower design is of significant interest for future development of wind power plants. First, wind turbine towers account for a large portion of overall capital expenditures for wind power projects. Second, for low wind-resource regions of the world, the use of low-cost tall-tower technology has the potential to open new markets for development. This study investigates the relative potential of various tower configurations in terms of mass and cost. For different market applications and hub heights, idealized tall towers are designed and compared. The results show that innovation in wind turbine controls makes reaching higher hub heights with current technology economically viable. At the same time, new technologies hold promise for reducing tower costs as these technologies mature and hub heights reach twice the current average.

Wind tunnel experimental study on effect of inland nuclear power plant cooling tower on air flow and dispersion of pollutant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiao Qingdang; Yao Rentai; Guo Zhanjie; Wang Ruiying; Fan Dan; Guo Dongping; Hou Xiaofei; Wen Yunchao

2011-01-01

A wind tunnel experiment for the effect of the cooling tower at Taohuajiang nuclear power plant on air flow and dispersion of pollutant was introduced in paper. Measurements of air mean flow and turbulence structure in different directions of cooling tower and other buildings were made by using an X-array hot wire probe. The effects of the cooling tower and its drift on dispersion of pollutant from the stack were investigated through tracer experiments. The results show that the effect of cooling tower on flow and dispersion obviously depends on the relative position of stack to cooling towers, especially significant for the cooling tower parallel to stack along wind direction. The variation law of normalized maximum velocity deficit and perturbations in longitudinal turbulent intensity in cooling tower wake was highly in accordance with the result of isolated mountain measured by Arya and Gadiyaram. Dispersion of pollutant in near field is significantly enhanced and plume trajectory is changed due to the cooling towers and its drift. Meanwhile, the effect of cooling tower on dispersion of pollutant depends on the height of release. (authors)

Financing Solar Thermal Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, Henry W.; Kistner, Rainer

1999-01-01

The commercialization of concentrating solar power technology took a major step forward in the mid 1980s and early 1990s with the development of the SEGS plants in California. Over the years they have proven that parabolic trough power technologies are the most cost-effective approach for commercial scale solar power generation in the sunbelt countries of the world. However, the question must be asked why no additional solar power plants have been build following the bankruptcy of the developer of the SEGS projects, LUZ International Limited. Although many believe the SEGS projects were a success as a result of parabolic trough technology they employ, in truth, the SEGS projects were developed simply because they represented an attractive opportunity for investors. Simply stated, no additional projects have been developed because no one has been able to put together a similarly attractive financial package to potential investors. More than $1.2 billion in private capital was raised in debt and equity financing for the nine SEGS plants. Investors and bankers who make these investments are the real clients for solar power technologies. They are not interested in annual solar to electric efficiencies, but in risk, return on investments, and coverage ratios. This paper will take a look at solar power projects from the financier's perspective. The challenge in moving forward is to attract private investors, commercial lenders, and international development agencies and to find innovative solutions to the difficult issues that investment in the global power market poses for solar power technologies

Financing solar thermal power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kistner, R.; Price, H.

1999-01-01

The commercialization of concentrating solar power technology took a major step forward in the mid 1980s and early 1990s with the development of the SEGS plants in California. Over the years they have proven that parabolic trough power technologies are the most cost-effective approach for commercial scale solar power generation in the sunbelt countries of the world. However, the question must be asked why no additional solar power plants have been built following the bankruptcy of the developer of the SEGS projects, LUZ International Limited. Although many believe the SEGS projects were a success as a result of parabolic trough technology they employ, in truth, the SEGS projects were developed simply because they represented an attractive opportunity for investors. Simply states, no additional projects have been developed because no one has been able to put together a similarly attractive financial package to potential investors. More than $1.2 billion in private capital was raised in debt and equity financing for the nine SEGS plants. Investors and bankers who make these investments are the real clients for solar power technologies. They are not interested in annual solar to electric efficiencies, but in risk, return on investments, and coverage ratios. This paper will take a look at solar power projects form the financier's perspective. The challenge in moving forward is to attract private investors, commercial lenders, and international development agencies and to find innovative solutions to the difficult issues that investment in the global power market poses for solar power technologies

Financing Solar Thermal Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kistner, Rainer [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Price, Henry W. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

1999-04-14

The commercialization of concentrating solar power technology took a major step forward in the mid 1980s and early 1990s with the development of the SEGS plants in California. Over the years they have proven that parabolic trough power technologies are the most cost-effective approach for commercial scale solar power generation in the sunbelt countries of the world. However, the question must be asked why no additional solar power plants have been build following the bankruptcy of the developer of the SEGS projects, LUZ International Limited. Although many believe the SEGS projects were a success as a result of parabolic trough technology they employ, in truth, the SEGS projects were developed simply because they represented an attractive opportunity for investors. Simply stated, no additional projects have been developed because no one has been able to put together a similarly attractive financial package to potential investors. More than $1.2 billion in private capital was raised in debt and equity financing for the nine SEGS plants. Investors and bankers who make these investments are the real clients for solar power technologies. They are not interested in annual solar to electric efficiencies, but in risk, return on investments, and coverage ratios. This paper will take a look at solar power projects from the financier’s perspective. The challenge in moving forward is to attract private investors, commercial lenders, and international development agencies and to find innovative solutions to the difficult issues that investment in the global power market poses for solar power technologies.

Structure of natural draft cooling towers, 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishioka, Hitoshi; Sakamoto, Yukichi; Tsurusaki, Mamoru; Koshizawa, Koichi; Chiba, Toshio

1976-01-01

Thousands of natural draft cooling towers have been utilized, in Europe and America, as cooling systems of power plants or as countermeasures against thermal polution. Recently in Japan, demands for cooling tower systems have been increasing remarkably with the construction of large power plants and the legislation of environmental regulations. In view of the severe natural conditions in Japan such as strong wind and seismic loadings, etc., the establishment of the optimum design and construction method is essential for the building of safe and economical towers. In order to establish a comprehensive plan of a power plant cooling system of the appropriate structural type, the authors have made researches and experiments on design conditions, static and dynamic analyses, and comparative studies of various structural types such as reinforced concrete thin-shell structures, steel framed structures and composite shell segment structures, based on the investigation results of towers in Europe and America. These results are presented in three reports, the 1st of which concerns cooling tower shells as are hereinafter described. (auth.)

A solar receiver-storage modular cascade based on porous ceramic structures for hybrid sensible/thermochemical solar energy storage

OpenAIRE

Agrafiotis, Christos; de Oliveira, Lamark; Roeb, Martin; Sattler, Christian

2016-01-01

The current state-of-the-art solar heat storage concept in air-operated Solar Tower Power Plants is to store the solar energy provided during on-sun operation as sensible heat in porous solid materials that operate as recuperators during off-sun operation. The technology is operationally simple; however its storage capacity is limited to 1.5 hours. An idea for extending this capacity is to render this storage concept from “purely” sensible to “hybrid” sensible/ thermochemical one, via coating...

IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEMS OF TECHNICAL WATER SUPPLY WITH COOLING TOWERS FOR HEAT POWER PLANTS TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS PERFECTION. Part 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. A. Zenovich-Leshkevich-Olpinskiy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The method of calculation of economic efficiency that can be universal and is suitable for feasibility study of modernization of irrigation and water distribution system of cooling towers has been developed. The method takes into account the effect of lower pressure exhaust steam in the condenser by lowering the temperature of the cooling water outlet of a cooling tower that aims at improvement of technical and economic indicators of heat power plants. The practical results of the modernization of irrigation and water distribution system of a cooling tower are presented. As a result, the application of new irrigation and water distribution systems of cooling towers will make it possible to increase the cooling efficiency by more than 4 оС and, therefore, to obtain the fuel savings by improving the vacuum in the turbine condensers. In addition, the available capacity of CHP in the summer period is increased. The results of the work, the experience of modernization of irrigation and water distribution systems of the Gomel CHP-2 cooling towers system, as well as the and methods of calculating of its efficiency can be disseminated for upgrading similar facilities at the power plants of the Belarusian energy system. Some measures are prosed to improve recycling systems, cooling towers and their structures; such measures might significantly improve the reliability and efficiency of technical water supply systems of heat power plants.

Evaluation of solar energy over three dimensional objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serposhan, S.; Yaghoubi, M.

2002-01-01

The knowledge of solar irradiation is important in heating and cooling of buildings architectural engineering, various solar energy utilizations, and for any system design exposed to sun radiation. In the present article, simulation is made to predict solar irradiation over any three-dimensional objects. Special consideration is made to evaluate solar radiation intensity distribution over semi-circular roof and domed roofs. For practical applications, hourly and average daily solar radiation distribution for a series of three Heller type huge cooling towers of Fars Power Plant is also determined

Wind tower service lift

Science.gov (United States)

Oliphant, David; Quilter, Jared; Andersen, Todd; Conroy, Thomas

2011-09-13

An apparatus used for maintaining a wind tower structure wherein the wind tower structure may have a plurality of legs and may be configured to support a wind turbine above the ground in a better position to interface with winds. The lift structure may be configured for carrying objects and have a guide system and drive system for mechanically communicating with a primary cable, rail or other first elongate member attached to the wind tower structure. The drive system and guide system may transmit forces that move the lift relative to the cable and thereby relative to the wind tower structure. A control interface may be included for controlling the amount and direction of the power into the guide system and drive system thereby causing the guide system and drive system to move the lift relative to said first elongate member such that said lift moves relative to said wind tower structure.

Here comes the sun. Solar energy technology in the USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van der Wees, G.

1998-01-01

An overview is given of the energy policy in the USA with respect to solar energy technology and the marketing of solar energy applications. In particular, attention is paid to the Million Solar Roofs programme, small-scale and medium-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems (Residential PV and Utility Scale PV), solar thermal systems (Parabolic Trough, Power tower, and Solar Dish/Engine). Also examples of passive solar systems are given. Finally, a number of aspects with regard to market implementation, e.g. net-metering. 9 refs

Economical analysis of a solar desalination system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Ziqian; Wang, Tie-Zhu; He, Xiao-Rong

2012-01-01

Based on the calculation of the single-factor impact values of the parameters of a triple stage tower-type of solar desalination unit by utilizing a single-factor analyzing method, the influences of the cost of solar heating system, the cost of hot water tank, the costs of desalination unit...... and yearly electrical power, the life time of solar desalination unit and the yearly yield of fresh water, on the cost of the fresh water production of the solar desalination unit are studied. It is helpful to do the further investigation on solar desalination systems for reducing the cost of fresh water...

Thermal performance prediction and sensitivity analysis for future deployment of molten salt cavity receiver solar power plants in Algeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudaoud, S.; Khellaf, A.; Mohammedi, K.; Behar, O.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Performance of power plant with molten salt cavity receiver is assessed. • A method has been used to optimize the plant solar multiple, capacity factor and LEC. • Comparison of the simulated results to those of PS20 has shown good agreement. • Higher fossil fuel fraction reduces the LEC and increases the capacity factor. • Highland and Sahara regions are suitable for CRS plants deployment. - Abstract: Of all Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technologies available today, the molten salt solar power plant appears to be the most important option for providing a major share of the clean and renewable electricity needed in the future. In the present paper, a technical and economic analysis for the implementation of a probable molten salt cavity receiver thermal power plant in Algeria has been carried out. In order to do so, we have investigated the effect of solar field size, storage capacity factor, solar radiation intensity, hybridization and power plant capacity on the thermal efficiency and electricity cost of the selected plant. The system advisor model has been used to perform the technical performance and the economic assessment for different locations (coastal, highland and Sahara regions) in Algeria. Taking into account various factors, a method has been applied to optimize the solar multiple and the capacity factor of the plant, to get a trade-off between the incremental investment costs of the heliostat field and the thermal energy storage. The analysis has shown that the use of higher fossil fuel fraction significantly reduces the levelized electricity cost (LEC) and sensibly increases the capacity factor (CF). The present study indicates that hybrid molten salt solar tower power technology is very promising. The CF and the LEC have been found to be respectively of the order of 71% and 0.35 $/kW e . For solar-only power plants, these parameters are respectively about 27% and 0.63 $/kW e . Therefore, hybrid central receiver systems are

Maximum Power from a Solar Panel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Miller

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Solar energy has become a promising alternative to conventional fossil fuel sources. Solar panels are used to collect solar radiation and convert it into electricity. One of the techniques used to maximize the effectiveness of this energy alternative is to maximize the power output of the solar collector. In this project the maximum power is calculated by determining the voltage and the current of maximum power. These quantities are determined by finding the maximum value for the equation for power using differentiation. After the maximum values are found for each time of day, each individual quantity, voltage of maximum power, current of maximum power, and maximum power is plotted as a function of the time of day.

Formation of secondary inorganic aerosols by power plant emissions exhausted through cooling towers in Saxony.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinneburg, Detlef; Renner, Eberhard; Wolke, Ralf

2009-01-01

The fraction of ambient PM10 that is due to the formation of secondary inorganic particulate sulfate and nitrate from the emissions of two large, brown-coal-fired power stations in Saxony (East Germany) is examined. The power stations are equipped with natural-draft cooling towers. The flue gases are directly piped into the cooling towers, thereby receiving an additionally intensified uplift. The exhausted gas-steam mixture contains the gases CO, CO2, NO, NO2, and SO2, the directly emitted primary particles, and additionally, an excess of 'free' sulfate ions in water solution, which, after the desulfurization steps, remain non-neutralized by cations. The precursor gases NO2 and SO2 are capable of forming nitric and sulfuric acid by several pathways. The acids can be neutralized by ammonia and generate secondary particulate matter by heterogeneous condensation on preexisting particles. The simulations are performed by a nested and multi-scale application of the online-coupled model system LM-MUSCAT. The Local Model (LM; recently renamed as COSMO) of the German Weather Service performs the meteorological processes, while the Multi-scale Atmospheric Transport Model (MUSCAT) includes the transport, the gas phase chemistry, as well as the aerosol chemistry (thermodynamic ammonium-sulfate-nitrate-water system). The highest horizontal resolution in the inner region of Saxony is 0.7 km. One summer and one winter episode, each realizing 5 weeks of the year 2002, are simulated twice, with the cooling tower emissions switched on and off, respectively. This procedure serves to identify the direct and indirect influences of the single plumes on the formation and distribution of the secondary inorganic aerosols. Surface traces of the individual tower plumes can be located and distinguished, especially in the well-mixed boundary layer in daytime. At night, the plumes are decoupled from the surface. In no case does the resulting contribution of the cooling tower emissions to PM10

The optimal operation of cooling tower systems with variable-frequency control

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yong; Huang, Liqing; Cui, Zhiguo; Liu, Jing

2018-02-01

This study investigates the energy performance of chiller and cooling tower systems integrated with variable-frequency control for cooling tower fans and condenser water pumps. With regard to an example chiller system serving an office building, Chiller and cooling towers models were developed to assess how different variable-frequency control methods of cooling towers fans and condenser water pumps influence the trade-off between the chiller power, pump power and fan power under various operating conditions. The matching relationship between the cooling tower fans frequency and condenser water pumps frequency at optimal energy consumption of the system is introduced to achieve optimum system performance.

Analysis of Ideal Towers for Tall Wind Applications: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dykes, Katherine L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Damiani, Rick R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Roberts, Joseph O [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lantz, Eric J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-02-27

Innovation in wind turbine tower design is of significant interest for future development of wind power plants. First, wind turbine towers account for a large portion of overall capital expenditures for wind power projects. Second, for low wind-resource regions of the world, the use of low-cost tall-tower technology has the potential to open new markets for development. This study investigates the relative potential of various tower configurations in terms of mass and cost. For different market applications and hub heights, idealized tall towers are designed and compared. The results show that innovation in wind turbine controls makes reaching higher hub heights with current technology economically viable. At the same time, new technologies hold promise for reducing tower costs as these technologies mature and hub heights reach twice the current average.

A Comparison of a Solar Power Satellite Concept to a Concentrating Solar Power System

Science.gov (United States)

Smitherman, David V.

2013-01-01

A comparison is made of a solar power satellite (SPS) concept in geostationary Earth orbit to a concentrating solar power (CSP) system on the ground to analyze overall efficiencies of each infrastructure from solar radiance at 1 AU to conversion and transmission of electrical energy into the power grid on the Earth's surface. Each system is sized for a 1-gigawatt output to the power grid and then further analyzed to determine primary collector infrastructure areas. Findings indicate that even though the SPS concept has a higher end-to-end efficiency, the combined space and ground collector infrastructure is still about the same size as a comparable CSP system on the ground.

Solar-powered Gossamer Penguin in flight

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

Gossamer Penguin in flight above Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards, California, showing the solar panel perpendicular to the wing and facing the sun. Background The first flight of a solar-powered aircraft took place on November 4, 1974, when the remotely controlled Sunrise II, designed by Robert J. Boucher of AstroFlight, Inc., flew following a launch from a catapult. Following this event, AeroVironment, Inc. (founded in 1971 by the ultra-light airplane innovator--Dr. Paul MacCready) took on a more ambitious project to design a human-piloted, solar-powered aircraft. The firm initially took the human-powered Gossamer Albatross II and scaled it down to three-quarters of its previous size for solar-powered flight with a human pilot controlling it. This was more easily done because in early 1980 the Gossamer Albatross had participated in a flight research program at NASA Dryden in a program conducted jointly by the Langley and Dryden research centers. Some of the flights were conducted using a small electric motor for power. Gossamer Penguin The scaled-down aircraft was designated the Gossamer Penguin. It had a 71-foot wingspan compared with the 96-foot span of the Gossamer Albatross. Weighing only 68 pounds without a pilot, it had a low power requirement and thus was an excellent test bed for solar power. AstroFlight, Inc., of Venice, Calif., provided the power plant for the Gossamer Penguin, an Astro-40 electric motor. Robert Boucher, designer of the Sunrise II, served as a key consultant for both this aircraft and the Solar Challenger. The power source for the initial flights of the Gossamer Penguin consisted of 28 nickel-cadmium batteries, replaced for the solar-powered flights by a panel of 3,920 solar cells capable of producing 541 Watts of power. The battery-powered flights took place at Shafter Airport near Bakersfield, Calif. Dr. Paul MacCready's son Marshall, who was 13 years old and weighed roughly 80 pounds, served as the initial pilot for these flights to

Seismic analysis of two 1050 mm diameter heavy water upgrading towers for 235 MWe Kaiga Atomic Power Plant Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soni, R.S.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Mahajan, S.C.; Kakodkar, A.; Narwaria, Suresh; Vardarajan, T.G.; Sadhukhan, H.K.

1992-01-01

This report deals with the analysis carried out for the evaluation of earthquake induced stresses and deflections in two 1050 mm diameter heavy water upgrading towers for Kaiga Atomic Power Plant Site. The analysis of upgrading tower has been carried out for two mutually perpendicular horizontal excitations and one vertical excitation applied simultaneously. The upgrading towers have been analysed using beam model taking into account soil-structure interaction. Response spectrum analysis has been carried out using site spectra for 235 MWe Kaiga reactor site. The seismic analysis has been performed for both the towers with supporting structure along with concrete pedestals and raft foundation. The towers have been checked for its stability due to compressive stresses to avoid buckling so that the nearby safety related structures are not geopardised in the event of safe shutdown earthquake (SSE) loading. (author). 14 refs., 12 figs., 18 tabs

Cooling tower drift: comprehensive case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laulainen, N.S.; Ulanski, S.L.

1979-01-01

A comprehensive experiment to study drift from mechanical drift cooling towers was conducted during June 1978 at the PG and E Pittsburg Power Plant. The data from this study will be used for validation of drift deposition models. Preliminary results show the effects of tower geometry and orientation with respect to the wind and to single- or two-tower operation. The effect of decreasing relative humidity during a test run can also be seen

Solar and nuclear power are partners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossin, A.D.

1985-01-01

This chapter attempts to refute the claim made by solar energy proponents that the continued reliance on electric grids with coal-fired and nuclear plants hinders the development of solar energy sources. It is proposed that solar and nuclear power do not compete with one another, no energy source can do the job alone, and the future of solar energy is brightest only if nuclear power succeeds. Since electric utilities have to generate almost twice as much energy during the day than at night, solar energy could be used to decrease the amount of electric power the nuclear power plants must supply at peak periods. It is argued that the key to solving future energy demands is diversity in the forms of energy supply

Decentralised Solar Power at Homes

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Decentralised Solar Power at Homes. Solar PV gives DC Power. But load is AC; Needs a DC-AC convertor. Now if we add a battery. Battery stores only DC. Require a AC-DC convertor for charging; Require a DC-AC convertor during discharging. For low power, each ...

The solar power satellite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Combes, P.F.

1982-01-01

The construction, launch, components, and operations of satellite solar power systems (SSPS) for direct beaming of solar energy converted to electricity to earth stations are outlined. The reference designs of either Si or concentrator GaAs solar cell assemblies large enough to project 5 GW of power are described. The beam will be furnished by klystrons or amplitrons for reception by rectennas on earth. Conforming to the law of amplitude and the equiphase law will permit high efficiencies, pointing accuracy, and low power deposition/sq cm, thus avoiding environmental problems, although some telecommunications systems may suffer interference. The construction of the dipole rectenna grid is sketched, noting that one receiver would be an ellipse sized at 10 x 13 km. Various forms of pollution which could result from the construction of an SSPS are examined.

Space Solar Power: Satellite Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Frank E.

1999-01-01

Space Solar Power (SSP) applies broadly to the use of solar power for space related applications. The thrust of the NASA SSP initiative is to develop concepts and demonstrate technology for applying space solar power to NASA missions. Providing power from satellites in space via wireless transmission to a receiving station either on earth, another celestial body or a second satellite is one goal of the SSP initiative. The sandwich design is a satellite design in which the microwave transmitting array is the front face of a thin disk and the back of the disk is populated with solar cells, with the microwave electronics in between. The transmitter remains aimed at the earth in geostationary orbit while a system of mirrors directs sunlight to the photovoltaic cells, regardless of the satellite's orientation to the sun. The primary advantage of the sandwich design is it eliminates the need for a massive and complex electric power management and distribution system for the satellite. However, it requires a complex system for focusing sunlight onto the photovoltaic cells. In addition, positioning the photovoltaic array directly behind the transmitting array power conversion electronics will create a thermal management challenge. This project focused on developing designs and finding emerging technology to meet the challenges of solar tracking, a concentrating mirror system including materials and coatings, improved photovoltaic materials and thermal management.

Design and operation of hybrid cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alt, W.

1987-01-01

The first hybrid cooling tower at a coal-fired power station with a waste heat output of 550 MW has been in operation since the middle of 1985. Experience during the construction stage and the initial period of operation has confirmed the correctness of the design standards and of the design itself and, of course, also offers a wealth of knowledge to be observed on future construction projects. A second cooling tower of similar design is being erected at the present time. This cooling tower serves a power station unit with 2500 MW of waste heat output. The programme for this cooling tower offers the possibility for all the accumulated and evaluated experience to be of influence both on the design and also on the method of operation. This paper reports on the details. (orig.) [de

Solar Powered Remediation and pH Control

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-13

zone. The PRT system was completely powered via an off-the-grid solar power system . The system consisted of four 85 watt photovoltaic solar panels...polarity of the proton reduction system can be periodically alternated (i.e., the anode becomes a cathode) to increase the size of the treatment area, to...PRT System The PRT system was completely powered via an off-the-grid solar power system . The system consisted of four 85 watt photovoltaic solar

Cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boernke, F.

1975-01-01

The need for the use of cooling systems in power plant engineering is dealt with from the point of view of a non-polluting form of energy production. The various cooling system concepts up to the modern natural-draught cooling towers are illustrated by examples. (TK/AK) [de

Evaluation methods of solar contribution in solar aided coal-fired power generation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Yong; Zhai, Rongrong; Zhao, Miaomiao; Yang, Yongping; Yan, Qin

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Five methods for evaluating solar contribution are analyzed. • Method based on the second law of thermodynamics and thermal economics is more suitable for SACPGS. • Providing reliable reference for the formulation of feed-in tariff policies in China. - Abstract: Solar aided coal-fired power plants utilize solar thermal energy to couple with coal-fired power plants of various types by adopting characteristics of different thermal needs of plants. In this way, the costly thermal storage system and power generating system will become unnecessary, meanwhile the intermittent and unsteady nature of power generation can be avoided. In addition, large-scale utilization of solar thermal power and energy saving can be achieved. With the ever-deepening analyses of solar aided coal-fired power plants, the contribution evaluating system of solar thermal power is worth further exploration. In this paper, five common evaluation methods of solar contribution are analyzed, and solar aided coal-fired power plants of 1000 MW, 600 MW and 330 MW are studied with these five methods in a comparative manner. Therefore, this study can serve as a theoretical reference for future research of evaluation methods and subsidies for new energy

Solar Irradiance & On Grid Solar Power Systems with Net Metering in Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haleema Qamar

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a case study of solar irradiance and scope of on-grid solar power systems with net-metering in Pakistan. Detailed analysis of solar irradiance in Pakistan is being carried out by developing the dedicated solar excel sheets. The need of on grid solar power systems for the present energy crisis in developing countries like Pakistan is also discussed. It also presents the inclination of many countries especially USA and Europe towards it. Identification of barriers for implementing on grid net metered solar power systems in Pakistan along with solutions of these barriers is carried out.

Solar-Powered Refrigeration System

Science.gov (United States)

Ewert, Michael K. (Inventor); Bergeron, David J., III (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A solar powered vapor compression refrigeration system is made practicable with thermal storage and novel control techniques. In one embodiment, the refrigeration system includes a photovoltaic panel, a variable speed compressor, an insulated enclosure, and a thermal reservoir. The photovoltaic (PV) panel converts sunlight into DC (direct current) electrical power. The DC electrical power drives a compressor that circulates refrigerant through a vapor compression refrigeration loop to extract heat from the insulated enclosure. The thermal reservoir is situated inside the insulated enclosure and includes a phase change material. As heat is extracted from the insulated enclosure, the phase change material is frozen, and thereafter is able to act as a heat sink to maintain the temperature of the insulated enclosure in the absence of sunlight. The conversion of solar power into stored thermal energy is optimized by a compressor control method that effectively maximizes the compressor's usage of available energy. A capacitor is provided to smooth the power voltage and to provide additional current during compressor start-up. A controller monitors the rate of change of the smoothed power voltage to determine if the compressor is operating below or above the available power maximum, and adjusts the compressor speed accordingly. In this manner, the compressor operation is adjusted to convert substantially all available solar power into stored thermal energy.

Solar Powered Refrigeration System

Science.gov (United States)

Ewert, Michael K. (Inventor); Bergeron, David J., III (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A solar powered vapor compression refrigeration system is made practicable with thermal storage and novel control techniques. In one embodiment, the refrigeration system includes a photovoltaic panel, a variable speed compressor, an insulated enclosure, and a thermal reservoir. The photovoltaic (PV) panel converts sunlight into DC (direct current) electrical power. The DC electrical power drives a compressor that circulates refrigerant through a vapor compression refrigeration loop to extract heat from the insulated enclosure. The thermal reservoir is situated inside the insulated enclosure and includes a phase change material. As heat is extracted from the insulated enclosure, the phase change material is frozen, and thereafter is able to act as a heat sink to maintain the temperature of the insulated enclosure in the absence of sunlight. The conversion of solar power into stored thermal energy is optimized by a compressor control method that effectively maximizes the compressor's usage of available energy. A capacitor is provided to smooth the power voltage and to provide additional current during compressor start-up. A controller monitors the rate of change of the smoothed power voltage to determine if the compressor is operating below or above the available power maximum, and adjusts the compressor speed accordingly. In this manner, the compressor operation is adjusted to convert substantially all available solar power into stored thermal energy.

Solar power satellite system; Uchu hatsuden system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasaki, S [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Tokyo (Japan)

1995-09-05

The solar power satellite system is a system that converts solar energy into electric energy in the space, transmits power to earth through wireless resort such as microwave and supplies energy of new concept. In order to realize this system it is necessary to have new technologies such as space power transmission at low cost, construction of large space buildings and wireless high power transmission. In this paper, the principles, characteristics and the necessary technology of this system were explained. Besides Japan`s SPS2000 Plan (cooperative research by universities, government agencies and private corporations on the model of solar power satellite) the group of Europe, Russia and the United States has also proposed some ideas concerning the solar power satellite system. As far as the microwave power transmission, which is the key technology for solar power satellite system, is concerned, ground demonstration tests at the level of several tens of kW are discussed in Canada and France. 3 refs., 3 figs.

Design consideration of solar powered cars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koten, Hasan; Yilmaz, Mustafa; Zafer Gul, M. [Marmara University Mechanical Engineering Department (Turkey)], E-mail: hasan.koten@marmara.edu.tr

2011-07-01

With the coming shortage of fossil fuels and the rising concerns over the environment, it is important to develop new technologies that reduce both energy consumption and pollution at the same time. Using solar energy is a good solution which could meet the world's energy needs. The aim of this study is to present the design process in the production of a solar powered car. Designing a solar powered car is a difficult task as there are strict requirements in term of efficiency: the car must have low drag resistance, be light-weight, and have low rolling resistance. In addition this paper presents the use of the solar powered Stirling engine technology rather than a photovoltaic conversion system for vehicle propulsion. This study presented a design process in the construction of a solar powered car and is expected to provide a new topic of research in the transportation field.

Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Concentrated Solar Power in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuxia Yang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In 2016, the first batch of concentrated solar power (CSP demonstration projects of China was formally approved. Due to the important impact of the cost-benefit on the investment decisions and policy-making, this paper adopted the static payback period (SP, net present value (NPV, net present value rate (NPVR, and internal rate of return (IRR to analyze and discuss the cost-benefit of CSP demonstration plants. The results showed the following. (1 The SP of CSP systems is relatively longer, due to high initial investment; but the cost-benefit of CSP demonstration plants as a whole is better, because of good expected incomes. (2 Vast majority of CSP projects could gain excess returns, on the basis of meeting the profitability required by the benchmark yield of 10%. (3 The cost-benefit of solar tower CSP technology (IRR of 12.33% is better than that of parabolic trough CSP technology (IRR of 11.72% and linear Fresnel CSP technology (IRR of 11.43%. (4 The annual electricity production and initial costs have significant impacts on the cost-benefit of CSP systems; the effects of operation and maintenance costs and loan interest rate on the cost-benefit of CSP systems are relatively smaller but cannot be ignored.

Reports on 1979 result of Sunshine Project. Testing research for detailed design of solar thermal power generation plant (tower converging method); 1979 nendo taiyonetsu hatsuden plant (tower shuko hoshiki) no shosai sekkei no tame no shiken kenkyu seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1980-03-31

This report briefly describes first, in the summary of the results, the contents of the research results of the year with the outcome as the central point. Then, it explains in detail, in the contents of the research, the substance of each research item, results, their examination contents, and future research subjects. The objective of the research is, for the purpose of technically seeking the cost performance of a solar thermal power generation plant, (1) to develop equipment constituting the plant and (2) to develop a pilot plant having an electrical output of about 1,000kW at the peak by the tower converging method. The research results were as follows. (1) In the confirming test of a heliostat test unit, the final conclusion was obtained of the wind resistance calculated value by the wind tunnel test of the heliostat; the design materials of the assembly jigs were obtained; the data of the operation forecast was obtained in a tracking test; and a sensor was developed for the tracking instrumentation. (2) In the confirming test of the improved absorbing surface/mirror, the improvement/trial production including the manufacturing method was carried out as the absorbing surface for the actual unit. (3) In the heat collecting test, steam generation and a loop control test were performed. (4) The plant system was analyzed, with data obtained for the operating method. (NEDO)

Thermal-CFD Analysis of Combined Solar-Nuclear Cycle Systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fathi, Nima [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); McDaniel, Patrick [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Vorobieff, Peter [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); de Oliveira, Cassiano [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rodriguez, Salvador B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Aleyasin, Seyed Sobhan [Univ. of Manitoba (Canada)

2015-09-01

The aim of this paper is evaluating the efficiency of a novel combined solar-nuclear cycle. CFD-Thermal analysis is performed to apply the available surplus heat from the nuclear cycle and measure the available kinetic energy of air for the turbine of a solar chimney power plant system (SCPPS). The presented idea helps to decrease the thermal pollution and handle the water shortage supply for water plant by replacing the cooling tower by solar chimney power plant to get the surplus heat from the available warm air in the secondary loop of the reactor. By applying this idea to a typical 1000 MW nuclear power plant with a 0.33 thermal efficiency, we can increase it to 0.39.

FY 1977 Annual report on Sunshine Project results. Survey and research on systems utilizing solar energy (Solar thermal power generation systems); 1977 nendo taiyo energy riyo system chosa kenkyu seika hokokusho. Taiyo netsu hatsuden system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1978-03-31

This project is aimed at surveys and researches on operation, economic efficiency and performance evaluation of solar thermal power generation systems, and test methods, e.g., for aging the materials for their devices, in order to establish the methods for evaluating their performance. For operation of solar thermal power generation systems, a feasible system is a hybrid with another system, e.g., thermal power or nuclear system. For economic efficiency, heat-storage capacity will be based on power generation for around 4 hours a day for a solar system to be installed in Japan. The construction and light/heat-collecting costs should be reduced to around 300,000 yen/kW and 13,000 to 21,000 yen/m{sup 2}, respectively, in order to keep the power generation cost at around 23 yen/kWH. The energy analysis of solar thermal power generation, based on the data given by the industrial correlation tables, indicates that the total energy required for construction of the system can be recovered in 2 to 3 years. Also outlined are construction of a 1MW pilot plant and its facilities, and designs of the pilot plants with a curved surface or tower type light collector. A total of 12 types of reflection mirrors are screened for establishing the air-exposure testing methods. Methods for treating back surface edges of the reflection mirrors are also investigated. (NEDO)

Atmospheric cooling tower with reduced plume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautier, D.M.; Lagoutte, A.

1985-01-01

The cooling tower, usable in thermal-electric power plants, has a vertical chimney having a central water tower fed with water to be cooled, a pipe network distributing water coming from the water tower and dispersing it in flows streaming down on a packing, and a basin to receive the water cooled by contact with an air flow passing through apertures at the lower part of the chimney and flowing up through the chimney. The cooling tower has inlet air pipes for the said apertures to a zone of the chimney situated beyond the streaming zone, the said pipes being arranged such their surface is swept by water to be cooled [fr

Economic analysis of power generation from floating solar chimney power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Xinping; Yang, Jiakuan; Xiao, Bo; Wang, Fen

2009-01-01

Solar chimney thermal power technology that has a long life span is a promising large-scale solar power generating technology. This paper performs economic analysis of power generation from floating solar chimney power plant (FSCPP) by analyzing cash flows during the whole service period of a 100 MW plant. Cash flows are influenced by many factors including investment, operation and maintenance cost, life span, payback period, inflation rate, minimum attractive rate of return, non-returnable subsidy rate, interest rate of loans, sale price of electricity, income tax rate and whether additional revenue generated by carbon credits is included or not. Financial incentives and additional revenue generated by carbon credits can accelerate the development of the FSCPP. Sensitivity analysis to examine the effects of the factors on cash flows of a 100 MW FSCPP is performed in detail. The results show that the minimum price for obtaining minimum attractive rate of return (MARR) of 8% reaches 0.83 yuan (kWh) -1 under financial incentives including loans at a low interest rate of 2% and free income tax. Comparisons of economics of the FSCPP and reinforced concrete solar chimney power plant or solar photovoltaic plant are also performed by analyzing their cash flows. It is concluded that FSCPP is in reality more economical than reinforced concrete solar chimney power plant (RCSCPP) or solar photovoltaic plant (SPVP) with the same power capacity. (author)

Detecting photovoltaic solar panels using hyperspectral imagery and estimating solar power production

Science.gov (United States)

Czirjak, Daniel

2017-04-01

Remote sensing platforms have consistently demonstrated the ability to detect, and in some cases identify, specific targets of interest, and photovoltaic solar panels are shown to have a unique spectral signature that is consistent across multiple manufacturers and construction methods. Solar panels are proven to be detectable in hyperspectral imagery using common statistical target detection methods such as the adaptive cosine estimator, and false alarms can be mitigated through the use of a spectral verification process that eliminates pixels that do not have the key spectral features of photovoltaic solar panel reflectance spectrum. The normalized solar panel index is described and is a key component in the false-alarm mitigation process. After spectral verification, these solar panel arrays are confirmed on openly available literal imagery and can be measured using numerous open-source algorithms and tools. The measurements allow for the assessment of overall solar power generation capacity using an equation that accounts for solar insolation, the area of solar panels, and the efficiency of the solar panels conversion of solar energy to power. Using a known location with readily available information, the methods outlined in this paper estimate the power generation capabilities within 6% of the rated power.

Solar cell power source system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimizu, Yoichi; Toma, Kunio; Fukuwa, Shinji

1988-05-14

This invention aims to supply a power source system with stable power output by reducing the power loss due to switching in the voltage stabilization even when the power source is a solar cell with frequent voltage variation. For this purpose, in a solar cell power source system consisting of a solar cell, a storage battery, a switching regulator placed between the storage cell and the load, and a load, arrangement was made that, by judging the input voltage from the storage battery, switch-acting the transistor of the switching regulator, if the input voltage is higher than the specified voltage; is the input voltage is lower than the specified voltage, the transistor is put in a full-on state. By this, the supply voltage can be stabilized even when the voltage fluctuates, and system gets more efficient as the switching loss decreases in the voltage stabilizing means. (1 fig)

Space solar power - An energy alternative

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, R. W.

1978-01-01

The space solar power concept is concerned with the use of a Space Power Satellite (SPS) which orbits the earth at geostationary altitude. Two large symmetrical solar collectors convert solar energy directly to electricity using photovoltaic cells woven into blankets. The dc electricity is directed to microwave generators incorporated in a transmitting antenna located between the solar collectors. The antenna directs the microwave beam to a receiving antenna on earth where the microwave energy is efficiently converted back to dc electricity. The SPS design promises 30-year and beyond lifetimes. The SPS is relatively pollution free as it promises earth-equivalence of 80-85% efficient ground-based thermal power plant.

Utilization of space technology for terrestrial solar power applications

Science.gov (United States)

Yasui, R. K.; Patterson, R. E.

1974-01-01

A description is given of the evolution of photovoltaic power systems designed and built for terrestrial applications, giving attention to problem areas which are currently impeding the further development of such systems. The rooftop testing of surplus solar panels is considered along with solar powered seismic observatories, solar powered portable radio sets, and design considerations identified from past experience. Present activities discussed are related to a solar powered on-shore beacon flasher system, a solar powered buoy, and a solar powered beacon flasher buoy.

Experimental evaluation of the wind effects on an operating power transmission tower

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hermes Carvalho

Full Text Available Abstract Static and dynamic effects on power transmission towers can be evaluated by methodologies available in codes, which suggest the use of linear static analysis. By using numerical simulations, it is possible to observe the strong influence of the geometric nonlinear behavior of transmission cables. Dynamic effects also strongly influence this behavior, with the possibility of resonance between the cables and the structure, but up to the moment, the existent analysis procedures have not been completely validated on an experimental basis. In order to validate a complete analysis methodology, experimental procedures are proposed for a suspension tower of a 138kV transmission line in use. A tridimensional anemometer was installed on this structure in order to measure the values and directions of wind speeds. Simultaneous strain values were collected on the main elements of the tower through optical extensometers. Optical sensor technology with Fiber Bragg Gratings was used, due to the characteristic of immunity to the electromagnetic field occasioned by high electric currents. The string swing angle was evaluated through a high-resolution camera and a tridimensional accelerometer. With this instrumentation, it is possible to create a complete database that correlates wind speeds with the responses of the structural set. At the moment, 5 months of data have been collected and the instrumentation is in the final testing phase and synchronized. After this step, real-time measurements will be performed.

Online short-term solar power forecasting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bacher, Peder; Madsen, Henrik; Nielsen, Henrik Aalborg

2009-01-01

This paper describes a new approach to online forecasting of power production from PV systems. The method is suited to online forecasting in many applications and in this paper it is used to predict hourly values of solar power for horizons of up to 36 hours. The data used is fifteen......-minute observations of solar power from 21 PV systems located on rooftops in a small village in Denmark. The suggested method is a two-stage method where first a statistical normalization of the solar power is obtained using a clear sky model. The clear sky model is found using statistical smoothing techniques....... Then forecasts of the normalized solar power are calculated using adaptive linear time series models. Both autoregressive (AR) and AR with exogenous input (ARX) models are evaluated, where the latter takes numerical weather predictions (NWPs) as input. The results indicate that for forecasts up to two hours...

Modeling of Direct Contact Wet Cooling Tower in ETRR-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Khatib, H.H.; Ismail, A.L.; ElRefaie, M.E.

2008-01-01

The Egyptian Testing and Research Reactor no.2 (ETRR-2) was commissioned at 1997 with maximum power 22 MW for research purposes; an induced draft wet cooling tower (counter flow type) was putted in operation in 2003 instead of the first one. Investigations are achieved to evaluate cooling tower performance to guarantee that the cooling tower capable to dissipate heat generated in reactor core. Merkel and Poppe analysis was applied to simulate this cooling tower packing. Merkel analysis was applied to predict water outlet temperature from cooling tower and also to show the effect of ambient conditions on this temperature. Poppe analysis was applied to predict Merkel number which evaluate cooling tower. The Runge-Kutta numerical method was applied to solve the differential equations in this model and an engineering equation solver (EES) is the language used to model the cooling tower. This research illustrates that the cooling tower achieves good performance in various sever ambient condition at maximum operating condition of reactor power. The results show that at severe summer condition of wet bulb temperature equals 24 degree c and tower inlet temperature equals 37 degree c, the outlet water temperature equals 30.4 degree c from cooling tower, while the Merkel number is be found 1.253

High-Fidelity Solar Power Income Modeling for Solar-Electric UAVs: Development and Flight Test Based Verification

OpenAIRE

Oettershagen, Philipp

2017-01-01

Solar power models are a crucial element of solar-powered UAV design and performance analysis. During the conceptual design phase, their accuracy directly relates to the accuracy of the predicted performance metrics and thus the final design characteristics of the solar-powered UAV. Likewise, during the operations phase of a solar-powered UAV accurate solar power income models are required to predict and assess the solar power system performance. However, the existing literature on solar-powe...

Solar power generation system. Solar denryoku hassei sochi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohaku, T [Toshiba Corp., Kawasaki (Japan)

1990-12-21

In a conventional solar power generation system having shunt elements for controlling generated power and supplying the controlled power to a load, it is difficult to carry out a stable power control, because the shunt characteristics of an analogue shunt element driving circuit vary widely as compared with a digital shunt element driving circuit, as the temperature varies. According to the present invention, in a solar power generation system having a plurality of solar cells divided into two of the first and second cell groups and a first and a second shunt element driving means provided for the first and second cell groups, the first shunt element driving means is composed of a combination of a resisance and level shift diode arranged, and the second shunt element driving means is composed of a combination of a transistor and level shift diode arranged. A stable current control of the shunt elements can be therefore realized, because the control voltage range of the first and second shunt element driving means is changed so as to be expanded, as the temperature varies, so that their overlapped voltage range is kept constant. 7 figs.

Solar powered vehicles: From dream to reality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1986-09-01

The initiatives of the 'Schweizer Vereinigung fuer Sonnenenergie' (Swiss Association for Solar Energy) has added new impetus worldwide for the utilisation of solar energy. The Association organised the 'Tour de Sol', a race for vehicles propelled with the aid of solar energy. Solar vehicles with and without supplementary power, both standard production models and prototypes were eligible for the race. Before the start of the race, the solar-powered vehicles were 'filled up' with solar energy at a 'solar filling station'. The winner in the 'standard' section (a 2-seater small car for short distances) weighed in at 240 kg and attained a top speed of 100 km/h and a range of 150 km. The rear-wheel drive of this battery-powered vehicle was provided by 2 permanent magnet motors. A newly-developed nickel-zinc battery from the USA was available to power the twin engines. The energy requirement was the equivalent of less than 1 liter of petrol per 100 km.

A Remote Power Management Strategy for the Solar Energy Powered Bicycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung-Hsing Chao

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a solar energy powered bicycle by a wireless sensor network (WSN far-end network monitoring solar energy to transfer the electrical energy storage and the effectiveness analysis is proposed. In order to achieve this goal, an embarked ZigBee by a solar-powered bicycle the far-end wireless network supervisory system is setup. Experimental results prove that our prototype, the solar energy powered bicycle, can manage the solar energy for charging two Lead-Acid batteries pack. As a result, the user by the wireless network in parking period knows the data on the amount of immediate solar radiation, the degree of illumination, the ambient temperature, and electrical energy storage capacity information by the internet interface.

A modular restoration tower for electric power line transmission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nicolazzi, L.C.; Pereira, J.C.; Leonel, C.E.L.; Rocha, G.B.; Bianchezzi, V.; Mendes, F. [Universidade Federal Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Mecanica], Emails: lauro@grante.ufsc.br, jcarlos@grante.ufsc.br; Luz, R.L. [ELETROSUL Centrais Eletricas S.A., Florianopolis, SC (Brazil)], Email: rluz@eletrosul.gov.br

2009-07-01

The main target of this R and D project is to develop an restoration tower for electric energy lines transmission. Whereas these towers should present the main features like transport facility, easiest assembling associated with a low cost of manufacture, it was applied the single-column tower concepts supported by stays, modularized, framed and articulated at the base. The concepts used for this development was a design methodology. From the different definition situations of load, numerical models have been developed focusing the design to the best of structural element arrangements of its modules. Then, tests were performed in laboratory to determine the module structural performance for different work load situations. These tests served to identify inconsistencies in the numerical models and proposed adjustments in its design to improve its performance on the strength and stability. (author)

GPM GROUND VALIDATION METEOROLOGICAL TOWER ENVIRONMENT CANADA GCPEX V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GPM Ground Validation Meteorological Tower Environment Canada GCPEx dataset provides temperature, relative humidity, 10 m winds, pressure and solar radiation...

Solar thermal and concentrated solar power barometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The European concentrated solar power plant market is steeling itself for tough time ahead. The number of projects under construction is a pittance compared with 2012 that was an excellent year for installations (an additional 802.5 MW of capacity recorded). This drop is the result of the moratorium on renewable energy power plants introduced by the Spanish government. The European solar thermal market is hardly any more encouraging . EurObserv'ER holds that it slipped for the fourth year in a row (it dropped 5.5% between 2011 and 2012). The newly-installed solar thermal collector surface area in the EU now stands at 3.4 million m 2 , far short of its 2008 installation record of 4.6 million m 2 . The EU's solar thermal base to date at the end of 2012 is 29.6 GWth with 2.4 GWth installed during the year 2012. This article gives tables gathering the figures of the production for every European country for 2012 and describes the market and the general trend for every EU member

Solar solutions | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-09-07

Sep 7, 2016 ... It's known as the water tower of Asia, and it's drying up. Pakistani farmers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region are using solar-powered water pumps to combat the effects of climate change.​ This article is part of an ongoing series of stories about innovative projects in the developing world, a partnership ...

Development of nonmetallic solar collector and solar-powered pump

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, J. C.

1979-01-01

Design and building of two unique components for solar heating (1. flatplate solar collector using no metal components, and 2. solar powered pump for heating and cooling systems are outlined in report. Report also discusses hardware, deliverable end items, problems encountered during fabrication and testing, and performance certification.

Startup of Pumping Units in Process Water Supplies with Cooling Towers at Thermal and Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berlin, V. V., E-mail: vberlin@rinet.ru; Murav’ev, O. A., E-mail: muraviov1954@mail.ru; Golubev, A. V., E-mail: electronik@inbox.ru [National Research University “Moscow State University of Civil Engineering,” (Russian Federation)

2017-03-15

Aspects of the startup of pumping units in the cooling and process water supply systems for thermal and nuclear power plants with cooling towers, the startup stages, and the limits imposed on the extreme parameters during transients are discussed.

Solar power generating device. Solar denryoku hassei sochi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayashi, E

1990-02-06

Concerning the existing solar power generating device using the analogue sequential partial shunt system, the number of interface line between the solar cell panel and the shunt dissipater is enormous and complicated in addition to the increased temperature rise of the shunt transistor in its working condition. Furthermore, concerning the digital sequential full shunt system, the above temperature rise becomes less, but the above number of interface line is likewise enormous. In order to remove the above defects, the solar power generating device which this invention concerns has the features that, in each row of solar cells connected to shunt transistors which are controlled respectively in a manner of on (saturation)/off independently in accordance with the amount of surplus electric power, the number of parallel connection of the unit cell circuits composing the each row above is made to be the different number respectively. Besides, it is proposed to have the feature in particular that such a number is made to be the number of 2 {sup n} (n is from zero to any integer, m) where n is increased by one progressively. 5 figs.

Study on Tower Models for EHV Transmission Line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Bao-Qing

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Lightning outage accident is one of the main factors that threat seriously the safe and reliable operation of power system. So it is very important to establish reasonable transmission tower model and evaluate the impulse response characteristic of lightning wave traveling on the transmission tower properly for determining reliable lightning protection performance. With the help of Electromagnetic Transient Program (EMTP, six 500kV tower models are built. Aiming at one line to one transformer operating mode of 500kV substation, the intruding wave overvoltage under different tower models is calculated. The effect of tower model on intruding overvoltage has been studied. The results show that different tower models can result in great differences to the calculation results. Hence, reasonable selection of the tower model in the calculation of back- strike intruding wave is very important.

Natural-draught wet-type cooling tower of the Philippsburg 1 nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ernst, G.; Schnabel, G.; Bhargava, N.; Brog, P.; Caneill, J.Y.; Carhart, R.A.; Dorwarth, G.; Egler, W.; Fiedler, F.; Gassmann, F.; Haschke, D.; Hodin, A.; Hofmann, W.; Huebschmann, W.; Nester, K.; Policastro, A.J.; Rudolf, B.; Schatzmann, M.; Tinguely, M.; Vignolo, C.; Zaidineraite, M.

1984-01-01

In spring 1980, comprehensive field measurements were performed on the natural-draught wet type, cooling tower of Philippsburg I nuclear power plant. Performance in service and emission of cooling tower, condition of ambient atmosphere and spread of plume were studied in seven subprojects. The report on hand contains the results of the 8th subproject within which plume spreading was calculated by means of mathematical models. Efforts were made to win the participation of as large as circle of scientists as possible in order to obtain an overview on the efficiencies of the existing models. The size of visible plumes were calculated by means of emission data and ambient data and were compared with those dimensions resulting from photograph. The models and the results are described in individual reports. Results were summarized for B models. Complete data on the 16'Philippsburg incidents' are contained in the annex to the program report. (orig./HP) [de

Solar-pumped lasers for space power transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Taussig, R.; Bruzzone, C.; Nelson, L.; Quimby, D.; Christiansen, W.

1979-01-01

Multi-Megawatt CW solar-pumped lasers appear to be technologically feasible for space power transmission in the 1990s time frame. A new concept for a solar-pumped laser is presented which utilizes an intermediate black body cavity to provide a uniform optical pumping environment for the lasant, either CO or CO2. Reradiation losses are minimized with resulting high efficiency operation. A 1 MW output laser may weigh as little as 8000 kg including solar collector, black body cavity, laser cavity and ducts, pumps, power systems and waste heat radiator. The efficiency of such a system will be on the order of 10 to 20%. Details of the new concept, laser design, comparison to competing solar-powered lasers and applications to a laser solar power satellite (SPS) concept are presented.

Thermodynamic and economic evaluation of a solar aided sugarcane bagasse cogeneration power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burin, Eduardo Konrad; Vogel, Tobias; Multhaupt, Sven; Thelen, Andre; Oeljeklaus, Gerd; Görner, Klaus; Bazzo, Edson

2016-01-01

This work evaluated the integration of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) with a sugarcane bagasse cogeneration plant located in Campo Grande (Brazil). The plant is equipped with two 170 t/h capacity steam generators that provide steam at 67 bar/525 °C. Superheated steam is expanded in a backpressure and in a condensing-extraction turbine. The evaluated hybridization layouts were: (layout 1) solar feedwater pre-heating; (layout 2) saturated steam generation with solar energy and post superheating in biomass steam generators and (layout 3) superheated steam generation in parallel with biomass boilers. Linear Fresnel and parabolic trough were implemented in layouts 1 and 2, while solar tower in layout 3. The exportation of electricity to the grid was increased between 1.3% (layout 1/linear Fresnel) and 19.8% (layout 3) in comparison with base case. The levelized cost of additional electricity was accounted between 220 US$/MWh (layout 3) and 628 US$/MWh (layout 1/linear Fresnel). The key factor related to layout 3 was the improvement of solar field capacity factor due to the solar-only operation of this approach. These aspects demonstrate that the combination of solar and bagasse resources might be the key to turn CSP economically feasible in Brazil. - Highlights: • The integration of CSP and a sugarcane bagasse cogeneration plant was here evaluated. • Additional hours of operation during off-season were achieved due to hybridization. • The part load performance of plant was predicted as solar thermal load was increased. • The electricity exportation to the grid could be increased between 1.3 and 19.8%. • The LCOE of additional electricity produced was ranged between 220 and 628 US$/MWh.

Measurements at cooling tower plumes. Part 3. Three-dimensional measurements at cooling tower plumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fortak, H.

An extended field experiment is described in which cooling tower plumes were studied by means of three-dimensional in situ measurements. The goal was to obtain input data for numerical models of cooling tower plumes. Of special interest were data for testing or developing assumptions for sub-grid parametrizations. Utilizing modern systems for high-resolution aerology and small aircraft, four measuring campaigns were conducted: two campaigns (1974) at the cooling towers of the RWE power station Neurath and also two (1975) at the single cooling tower of the RWE power station Meppen. Because of the broad spectrum of weather situations it can be assumed that the results are representative with regard to the interrelationship between structure of cooling tower plume and large-scale meteorological situation. A large number of flights with a powered glider crossing the plumes on orthogonal tracks was performed. All flights showed that the plume could be identified up to large downwind distances by discontinuous jumps of temperature and vapor pressure. Therefore, a definite geometry of the plume could always be defined. In all cross sections a vertical circulation could be observed. At the boundary, which could be defined by the mentioned jumps of temperature and vapor pressure, a maximum of downward vertical motion could be observed in most cases. Entrainment along the boundary of a cross section seems to be very small, except at the lower part of the plume. There, the mass entrainment is maximum and is responsible for plume rise as well as for enlargement of the cross section. The visible part of the plume (cloud) was only a small fraction of the whole plume. High-resolution aerology is necessary in order to explain the structure and behavior of such plumes. This is especially the case in investigations regarding the dynamic break-through of temperature inversions. Such cases were observed frequently under various meteorological conditions and are described

Coherence Effects on the Power and Tower Loads of a 7 × 2 MW Multi-Rotor Wind Turbine System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shigeo Yoshida

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A multi-rotor system (MRS, in which multiple wind turbines are placed on one tower, is a promising concept for super-large wind turbines at over 10 MW due to the cost and weight advantages. The coherence effects on an MRS were investigated in this study. Although a wide range of coherences were measured so far, a decay constant of C = 12 is recommended in the IEC61400-1 standard. Dynamic simulations were performed for a 14-MW MRS, which consists of seven 2-MW turbines and includes wind models with three different coherences. Although the results show that a larger coherence increases the output power and the collective loads due to tower base fore-aft bending, it reduces the differential loads due to tower-base torque and tower-top nodding. The most significant case is the fatigue damage due to tower base fore-aft bending, which was more than doubled between the decay constants of C = 6 and C = 12. The present results indicate that the coherence should be defined carefully in the design of large-scale MRSs because its effect on them is not straightforward.

Microcontroller Based Solar Charge Controller for Power Application

OpenAIRE

Mr. Vikas Khare

2012-01-01

Photovoltaic cell converts solar energy directly into electricity. This paper describes a design of microcontroller based solar charge controller for power application.[2] The work of the Paper is to charge a 12 volt battery by using a 50 watt solar panel with maximum power. This circuit regulates the charging of battery in a solar system by monitoring battery voltage and switching the solar or other power source off when the battery reached a preset value.[1] The microprocessor based charge ...

Small-scale installations. Solar concentration system for architectural integration; Instalaciones de pequeno tamano. Sistema de concetracion solar para integracion arquitectonica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chemisana, D.; Rosell, J.

2010-07-01

Concentration solar systems now practically limit its use in large installations with devices of considerable size, such as generator systems central tower parabolic trough concentrators for power generation. Disco-parabolic concentrators with Stirling engine or the great fans that support two-axis Fresnel lenses in combination with occasional multilayered cells with or without secondary concentrator. (Author) 11 refs.

Cooling Tower Optimization A Simple Way to Generate Green Megawatts and to Increase the Efficiency of a Power Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strohmer, F.

2014-07-01

The profitability of nuclear power plants is worldwide challenged by low electricity prices. One hand low cost shale gas is offering a low price electricity production , other hand additional taxes on fuel are reducing the operating income of nuclear power stations. The optimization of cooling towers can help to increase the efficiency and profit of a nuclear power plant. (Author)

solar thermal power systems advanced solar thermal technology project, advanced subsystems development

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

The preliminary design for a prototype small (20 kWe) solar thermal electric generating unit was completed, consisting of several subsystems. The concentrator and the receiver collect solar energy and a thermal buffer storage with a transport system is used to provide a partially smoothed heat input to the Stirling engine. A fossil-fuel combustor is included in the receiver designs to permit operation with partial or no solar insolation (hybrid). The engine converts the heat input into mechanical action that powers a generator. To obtain electric power on a large scale, multiple solar modules will be required to operate in parallel. The small solar electric power plant used as a baseline design will provide electricity at remote sites and small communities.

Possibilities for retrofitting of the existing thermal electric power plants using solar power technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matjanov, Erkinjon K.; Abduganieva, Farogat A.; Aminov, Zarif Z.

2012-01-01

Full text: Total installed electric power output of the existing thermal electric power plants in Uzbekistan is reaches 12 GW. Thermal electric power plants, working on organic fuel, produce around 88 % of the electricity in the country. The emission coefficient of CO 2 gases is 620 gram/kwph. Average electric efficiency of the thermal electric power plants is 32.1 %. The mentioned above data certifies, that the existing thermal electric power plants of Uzbekistan are physically and morally aged and they need to be retrofitted. Retrofitting of the existing thermal electric power plants can be done by several ways such as via including gas turbine toppings, by using solar technologies, etc. Solar thermal power is a relatively new technology which has already shown its enormous promise. With few environmental impacts and a massive resource, it offers a comparable opportunity to the sunniest Uzbekistan. Solar thermal power uses direct sunlight, so it must be sited in regions with high direct solar radiation. In many regions, one square km of land is enough to generate as much as 100-120 GWh of electricity per year using the solar thermal technology. This is equivalent to the annual production of a 50 MW conventional coal or gas-fired mid-load power plant. Solar thermal power plants can be designed for solar-only or for hybrid operation. Producing electricity from the energy in the sun's rays is a straightforward process: direct solar radiation can be concentrated and collected by a range of Concentrating Solar Power technologies to provide medium- to high temperature heat. This heat is then used to operate a conventional power cycle, for example through a steam turbine or a Stirling engine. Solar heat collected during the day can also be stored in liquid or solid media such as molten salts, ceramics, concrete or, in the future, phase-changing salt mixtures. At night, it can be extracted from the storage medium thereby continuing turbine operation. Currently, the

Solar Powered Automatic Shrimp Feeding System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dindo T. Ani

2015-12-01

Full Text Available - Automatic system has brought many revolutions in the existing technologies. One among the technologies, which has greater developments, is the solar powered automatic shrimp feeding system. For instance, the solar power which is a renewable energy can be an alternative solution to energy crisis and basically reducing man power by using it in an automatic manner. The researchers believe an automatic shrimp feeding system may help solve problems on manual feeding operations. The project study aimed to design and develop a solar powered automatic shrimp feeding system. It specifically sought to prepare the design specifications of the project, to determine the methods of fabrication and assembly, and to test the response time of the automatic shrimp feeding system. The researchers designed and developed an automatic system which utilizes a 10 hour timer to be set in intervals preferred by the user and will undergo a continuous process. The magnetic contactor acts as a switch connected to the 10 hour timer which controls the activation or termination of electrical loads and powered by means of a solar panel outputting electrical power, and a rechargeable battery in electrical communication with the solar panel for storing the power. By undergoing through series of testing, the components of the modified system were proven functional and were operating within the desired output. It was recommended that the timer to be used should be tested to avoid malfunction and achieve the fully automatic system and that the system may be improved to handle changes in scope of the project.

Probabilistic Capacity Assessment of Lattice Transmission Towers under Strong Wind

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei eZhang

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Serving as one key component of the most important lifeline infrastructure system, transmission towers are vulnerable to multiple nature hazards including strong wind and could pose severe threats to the power system security with possible blackouts under extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, derechoes, or winter storms. For the security and resiliency of the power system, it is important to ensure the structural safety with enough capacity for all possible failure modes, such as structural stability. The study is to develop a probabilistic capacity assessment approach for transmission towers under strong wind loads. Due to the complicated structural details of lattice transmission towers, wind tunnel experiments are carried out to understand the complex interactions of wind and the lattice sections of transmission tower and drag coefficients and the dynamic amplification factor for different panels of the transmission tower are obtained. The wind profile is generated and the wind time histories are simulated as a summation of time-varying mean and fluctuating components. The capacity curve for the transmission towers is obtained from the incremental dynamic analysis (IDA method. To consider the stochastic nature of wind field, probabilistic capacity curves are generated by implementing IDA analysis for different wind yaw angles and different randomly generated wind speed time histories. After building the limit state functions based on the maximum allowable drift to height ratio, the probabilities of failure are obtained based on the meteorological data at a given site. As the transmission tower serves as the key nodes for the power network, the probabilistic capacity curves can be incorporated into the performance based design of the power transmission network.

Dynamic analysis of cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bittnar, Z.

1987-01-01

Natural draught cooling towers are shell structures subjected to random vibrations due to wind turbulence and earthquake. The need of big power plant units has initiated the design of very large cooling towers. The random response of such structures may be analysed using a spectral approach and assuming a linear behaviour of the structure. As the modal superposition method is the most suitable procedure for this purpose it is necessary to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes with adequate accuracy. (orig./GL)

Power management circuits for self-powered systems based on micro-scale solar energy harvesting

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Eun-Jung; Yu, Chong-Gun

2016-03-01

In this paper, two types of power management circuits for self-powered systems based on micro-scale solar energy harvesting are proposed. First, if a solar cell outputs a very low voltage, less than 0.5 V, as in miniature solar cells or monolithic integrated solar cells, such that it cannot directly power the load, a voltage booster is employed to step up the solar cell's output voltage, and then a power management unit (PMU) delivers the boosted voltage to the load. Second, if the output voltage of a solar cell is enough to drive the load, the PMU directly supplies the load with solar energy. The proposed power management systems are designed and fabricated in a 0.18-μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process, and their performances are compared and analysed through measurements.

Engineering and economic evaluation of wet/dry cooling towers for water conservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, M.C.

1976-11-01

The results are presented of a design and cost study for wet/dry tower systems used in conjunction with 1000 MWe nuclear power plants to reject waste heat while conserving water. Design and cost information for wet/dry tower systems are presented, and these cooling system alternatives are compared with wet and dry tower systems to determine whether the wet/dry tower concept is an economically viable alternative. The wet/dry cooling tower concept investigated is one which combines physically separated wet towers and dry towers into an operational unit. In designing the wet/dry tower, a dry cooling tower is sized to carry the plant heat load at low ambient temperatures, and a separate wet tower is added to augment the heat rejection of the dry tower at higher ambient temperatures. These wet/dry towers are designed to operate with a conventional low back pressure turbine commercially available today. The component wet and dry towers are state-of-the-art designs. From this study it was concluded that: wet/dry cooling systems can be designed to provide a significant economic advantage over dry cooling yet closely matching the dry tower's ability to conserve water, a wet/dry system which saves as much as 99 percent of the make-up water required by a wet tower can maintain that economic advantage, and therefore, for power plant sites where water is in short supply, wet/dry cooling is the economic choice over dry cooling

Concentrating solar thermal power.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller-Steinhagen, Hans

2013-08-13

In addition to wind and photovoltaic power, concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) will make a major contribution to electricity provision from renewable energies. Drawing on almost 30 years of operational experience in the multi-megawatt range, CSP is now a proven technology with a reliable cost and performance record. In conjunction with thermal energy storage, electricity can be provided according to demand. To date, solar thermal power plants with a total capacity of 1.3 GW are in operation worldwide, with an additional 2.3 GW under construction and 31.7 GW in advanced planning stage. Depending on the concentration factors, temperatures up to 1000°C can be reached to produce saturated or superheated steam for steam turbine cycles or compressed hot gas for gas turbine cycles. The heat rejected from these thermodynamic cycles can be used for sea water desalination, process heat and centralized provision of chilled water. While electricity generation from CSP plants is still more expensive than from wind turbines or photovoltaic panels, its independence from fluctuations and daily variation of wind speed and solar radiation provides it with a higher value. To become competitive with mid-load electricity from conventional power plants within the next 10-15 years, mass production of components, increased plant size and planning/operating experience will be accompanied by technological innovations. On 30 October 2009, a number of major industrial companies joined forces to establish the so-called DESERTEC Industry Initiative, which aims at providing by 2050 15 per cent of European electricity from renewable energy sources in North Africa, while at the same time securing energy, water, income and employment for this region. Solar thermal power plants are in the heart of this concept.

Distributed Solar Photovoltaic Power Production - Technology and Benefits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matos, Al [PSE& G; Stuby, Rick [Petra Solar

2011-11-02

As part of its nationally recognized Solar 4 All program, PSE&G has partnered with Petra Solar to deploy the world’s first and largest pole attached solar project. The project, based on Petra Solar’s distributed Smart Solar solution, will create a 40 megawatt solar “virtual power plant.” In deployment as 200,000 individual grid-connected solar power producers on utility poles in PSE&G territory, Petra Solar SunWave® solutions leverage Smart Grid communications and high-tech panel-level inverters to implement a robust system with many technical benefits over traditional solar photovoltaic solutions. The program overview, deployment model, smart grid communications and enabling inverter technology and safety features will be presented, as well the future challenges of, and solutions for, solar power intermittency as photovoltaic penetration on the electric grid increases.

Solar thermal electric power information user study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belew, W.W.; Wood, B.L.; Marle, T.L.; Reinhardt, C.L.

1981-02-01

The results of a series of telephone interviews with groups of users of information on solar thermal electric power are described. These results, part of a larger study on many different solar technologies, identify types of information each group needed and the best ways to get information to each group. The report is 1 of 10 discussing study results. The overall study provides baseline data about information needs in the solar community. An earlier study identified the information user groups in the solar community and the priority (to accelerate solar energy commercialization) of getting information to each group. In the current study only high-priority groups were examined. Results from five solar thermal electric power groups of respondents are analyzed: DOE-Funded Researchers, Non-DOE-Funded Researchers, Representatives of Utilities, Electric Power Engineers, and Educators. The data will be used as input to the determination of information products and services the Solar Energy Research Institute, the Solar Energy Information Data Bank Network, and the entire information outreach community should be preparing and disseminating.

Development of Solar Powered Irrigation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelkerim, A I; Eusuf, M M R Sami; Salami, M J E; Aibinu, A; Eusuf, M A

2013-01-01

Development of a solar powered irrigation system has been discussed in this paper. This system would be SCADA-based and quite useful in areas where there is plenty of sunshine but insufficient water to carry out farming activities, such as rubber plantation, strawberry plantation, or any plantation, that requires frequent watering. The system is powered by solar system as a renewable energy which uses solar panel module to convert Sunlight into electricity. The development and implementation of an automated SCADA controlled system that uses PLC as a controller is significant to agricultural, oil and gas monitoring and control purpose purposes. In addition, the system is powered by an intelligent solar system in which solar panel targets the radiation from the Sun. Other than that, the solar system has reduced energy cost as well as pollution. The system is equipped with four input sensors; two soil moisture sensors, two level detection sensors. Soil moisture sensor measures the humidity of the soil, whereas the level detection sensors detect the level of water in the tank. The output sides consist of two solenoid valves, which are controlled respectively by two moistures sensors

Design approach for solar cell and battery of a persistent solar powered GPS tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Sahraei, Nasim; Watson, Sterling M.; Pennes, Anthony; Marius Peters, Ian; Buonassisi, Tonio

2017-08-01

Sensors with wireless communication can be powered by photovoltaic (PV) devices. However, using solar power requires thoughtful design of the power system, as well as a careful management of the power consumption, especially for devices with cellular communication (because of their higher power consumption). A design approach can minimize system size, weight, and/or cost, while maximizing device performance (data transmission rate and persistence). In this contribution, we describe our design approach for a small form-factor, solar-powered GPS tracker with cellular communication. We evaluate the power consumption of the device in different stages of operation. Combining measured power consumption and the calculated energy-yield of a solar cell, we estimate the battery capacity and solar cell area required for 5 years of continuous operation. We evaluate trade-offs between PV and battery size by simulating the battery state of charge. The data show a trade-off between battery capacity and solar-cell area for given target data transmission rate and persistence. We use this analysis to determine the combination of solar panel area and battery capacity for a given application and the data transmission rate that results in minimum cost or total weight of the system.

Recipe for success in solar power marketing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frauenfelder, S.

2000-01-01

This article presents the results of a campaign run jointly by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and the Association of Swiss Electricity Utilities called 'Solar Power from your Utility'. An analysis of solar power marketing efforts made by ten utilities is presented. The results of assessments of these market measures made by solar power customers and non-customers are presented and questions of pricing, product-image and product-confidence are discussed. Finally, suggestions for the optimisation of the marketing measures are made

Online Short-term Solar Power Forecasting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bacher, Peder; Madsen, Henrik; Nielsen, Henrik Aalborg

2011-01-01

This poster presents two approaches to online forecasting of power production from PV systems. The methods are suited for online forecasting in many applications and here they are used to predict hourly values of solar power for horizons up to 32 hours.......This poster presents two approaches to online forecasting of power production from PV systems. The methods are suited for online forecasting in many applications and here they are used to predict hourly values of solar power for horizons up to 32 hours....

Small Hybrid Solar Power System

OpenAIRE

Kane, El Hadj Malick; Larrain, Diego; Favrat, Daniel

2001-01-01

This paper introduces a novel of mini-hybrid solar power plant integrating a field of solar concentrators, two superposed Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC) and a (bio)Diesel engine. Turbines for the organic Rankine Cycles are hermetic scroll expander-generators. Sun tracking solar collectors are composed of rows of flat mirror bands (CEP) arranged in a plane, which focus the solar energy onto a collector tube similar to those used in SEGS plant in California. The wast...

Small Hybrid Solar Power System

OpenAIRE

Kane, El Hadj Malick; Favrat, Daniel; Larrain, Diego; Allani, Yassine

2003-01-01

This paper introduces a novel of mini-hybrid solar power plant integrating a field of solar concentrators, two superposed Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC) and a (bio)Diesel engine. Turbines for the organic Rankine Cycles are hermetic scroll expander-generators. Sun tracking solar collectors are composed of rows of flat mirror bands (CEP) arranged in a plane, which focus the solar energy onto a collector tube similar to those used in SEGS plant in California. The waste heat from both...

Inclined solar chimney for power production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panse, S.V.; Jadhav, A.S.; Gudekar, A.S.; Joshi, J.B.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Solar energy harnessing using inclined face of high mountains as solar chimney. → Solar chimneys with structural stability, ease of construction and lower cost. → Mathematical model developed, using complete (mechanical and thermal) energy balance. → Can harness wind power also, as wind velocities at mountain top add to power output. → Air temperature and velocity increase, as air rises in inclined chimney. - Abstract: The present concept of solar chimney is a tall vertical chimney constructed at the center of a large area, which is the collector. This creates questions about stability and economic viability of the chimney and also demands elaborate engineering techniques for constructing a tall chimney. We suggest geometry of 'Inclined Solar Chimney' (ISC), which is constructed along the face of a high rising mountain, on which maximum solar insolation is incident throughout the year. The chimney and the collector get merged here. This makes the structure stable, cost effective and easy for construction. A mathematical model has been developed considering the total energy balance. It predicts the temperature and velocity and kinetic power of the emerging air draft for some chosen values of other parameters. The model also shows the proportion in which absorbed solar energy is divided into different forms, and hence predicts the dependence of kinetic of emerging air draft upon dimensions of the chimney and properties of materials used. Further, it is shown that external winds enhance the kinetic power of the emerging air. Thus ISC can also harness the wind energy, available at the top of the mountain.

Concentrating Solar Power. Report April 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pihl, Erik (Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Enery and Environment, Goeteborg (Sweden))

2009-04-15

Concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies offer ways to utilise solar radiation by concentrating the light. In a concentrated form, the light can be utilised more cost efficiently. It is focused with mirrors or lenses and used either as a heat source in thermal power cycles (thermal CSP) or as a light source for high efficiency photovoltaic cells (concentrating photovoltaics, CPV). All concentrating systems use tracking to follow the movement of the sun, in two or three dimensions, and require direct sunlight (no diffusing clouds). CSP plants are often more complex, component wise than those based on flat PV. The extra cost of complexity is generally more than offset by the larger scales, the less need for expensive materials such as purified silicon and a better fit with the current energy infrastructure. Some thermal CSP plants offer great possibilities to deal with the intermittency of solar energy, as the heat generated can be stored in the form of a heated liquid in large tanks for many hours with little additional cost, and drive the thermal power generation also during cloudy periods or at night. CSP is growing rapidly and can be an important portion of future low-carbon energy systems. A prerequisite is that expected cost reductions are, at least largely, realised. In regions with good solar conditions (Mediterranean countries, US Southwest, Middle East, Australia etc), CSP systems already in the short-term future can satisfy significant shares of the power demand, to decrease CO{sub 2} emissions. Less solar-intensive regions (Northern Europe, much of North America etc) can be supplied with CSP power from solar-rich regions by using long distance power grids, for instance the high voltage DC cables being deployed and developed today

Exergy and Environmental Impact Assessment between Solar Powered Gas Turbine and Conventional Gas Turbine Power Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Rajaei

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recuperator is a heat exchanger that is used in gas turbine power plants to recover energy from outlet hot gases to heat up the air entering the combustion chamber. Similarly, the combustion chamber inlet air can be heated up to temperatures up to 1000 (°C by solar power tower (SPT as a renewable and environmentally benign energy source. In this study, comprehensive comparison between these two systems in terms of energy, exergy, and environmental impacts is carried out. Thermodynamic simulation of both cycles is conducted using a developed program in MATLAB environment. Exergetic performances of both cycles and their emissions are compared and parametric study is carried out. A new parameter (renewable factor is proposed to evaluate resources quality and measure how green an exergy loss or destruction or a system as a whole is. Nonrenewable exergy destruction and loss are reduced compared to GT with recuperator cycle by 34.89% and 47.41%, respectively. Reductions in CO2, NOx, and CO compared to GT with recuperator cycle by 49.92%, 66.14%, and 39.77%, respectively, are in line with renewable factor value of around 55.7 which proves the ability of the proposed green measure to evaluate and compare the cycles performances.

Peak Power Markets for Satellite Solar Power

Science.gov (United States)

Landis, Geoffrey A.

2002-01-01

This paper introduces first Indonesia, comprises 15,000 islands, has land area of two millions square kilometers. Extending from 95 to 141 degrees East longitude and from 6 degrees North to 11 degrees South latitude. Further the market of the Space Solar Power/SPS must be worldwide, including Indonesia. As we know, it can provide electricity anywhere in the world from the Earth's orbit, mostly Indonesia an equator country. We have to perform case studies of various countries to understand their benefits and disadvantages provided by the SSP, because each country has much different condition on energy from other countries. We are at the moment starting the international collaboration between Indonesia and Japan to carry out the case study for Indonesia. We understand that in Indonesia itself each province has much different micro-climate between one province compared to the other. In Japan, METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) has already organized a committee to investigate the feasibility of Space Solar Power and to make a plan to launch a space demonstration of the SPS. While, Indonesia is quickly developing economy and increasing their energy demand. We are investigating the detailed energy conditions of Indonesia, the benefits and disadvantages of the Space Solar Power for Indonesia. Especially, we will perform the investigation on the receiving system for the Japanese pilot Space Power Satellite.

Evaluation of dynamic response for monopole and hybrid wind mill tower

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Hemal J.; Desai, Atul K.

2017-07-01

The wind mill towers are constructed using monopoles or lattice type tower. As the height of tower increases it gives more power but it becomes uneconomical, so in the present research work innovative wind mill tower such as combination of monopole and lattice tower is analyzed using FEM software. When the tall structures are constructed on soft soil it becomes dynamically sensitive so 3 types of soil such as hard, medium and soft soil is also modeled and the innovative tower is studied for different operating frequencies of wind turbine. From study it is concluded that the innovative tower will reduce resonance condition considering soil structure interaction.

Seismic Response of Power Transmission Tower-Line System Subjected to Spatially Varying Ground Motions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Tian

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The behavior of power transmission tower-line system subjected to spatially varying base excitations is studied in this paper. The transmission towers are modeled by beam elements while the transmission lines are modeled by cable elements that account for the nonlinear geometry of the cables. The real multistation data from SMART-1 are used to analyze the system response subjected to spatially varying ground motions. The seismic input waves for vertical and horizontal ground motions are also generated based on the Code for Design of Seismic of Electrical Installations. Both the incoherency of seismic waves and wave travel effects are accounted for. The nonlinear time history analytical method is used in the analysis. The effects of boundary conditions, ground motion spatial variations, the incident angle of the seismic wave, coherency loss, and wave travel on the system are investigated. The results show that the uniform ground motion at all supports of system does not provide the most critical case for the response calculations.

Consumer attitudes towards domestic solar power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faiers, Adam; Neame, Charles

2006-01-01

The success of the UK policy to reduce carbon emissions is partly dependent on the ability to persuade householders to become more energy efficient, and to encourage installation of domestic solar systems. Solar power is an innovation in the UK but the current policy of stimulating the market with grants is not resulting in widespread adoption. This case study, using householders in central England, investigates householder attitudes towards characteristics of solar systems and identifies some of the barriers to adoption. The study utilises Diffusion of Innovations theory to identify attitudes towards system attributes, and isolates the characteristics that are preventing a pragmatic 'early majority' from adopting the technology. A group of 'early adopters', and a group of assumed 'early majority' adopters of solar power were surveyed and the results show that overall, although the 'early majority' demonstrate a positive perception of the environmental characteristics of solar power, its financial, economic and aesthetic characteristics are limiting adoption. Differences exist between the two groups showing support for the concept of a 'chasm' between adopter categories after Moore (Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-tech Products to Mainstream Customers, second ed. Harper Perennial, New York). However, if consumers cannot identify the relative advantage of solar power over their current sources of power, which is supplied readily and cheaply through a mains system, it is unlikely that adoption will follow. Recommendations concerning the marketing and development of solar products are identified

Rankine-Brayton engine powered solar thermal aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Charles L [Livermore, CA

2009-12-29

A solar thermal powered aircraft powered by heat energy from the sun. A Rankine-Brayton hybrid cycle heat engine is carried by the aircraft body for producing power for a propulsion mechanism, such as a propeller or other mechanism for enabling sustained free flight. The Rankine-Brayton engine has a thermal battery, preferably containing a lithium-hydride and lithium mixture, operably connected to it so that heat is supplied from the thermal battery to a working fluid. A solar concentrator, such as reflective parabolic trough, is movably connected to an optically transparent section of the aircraft body for receiving and concentrating solar energy from within the aircraft. Concentrated solar energy is collected by a heat collection and transport conduit, and heat transported to the thermal battery. A solar tracker includes a heliostat for determining optimal alignment with the sun, and a drive motor actuating the solar concentrator into optimal alignment with the sun based on a determination by the heliostat.

Rankline-Brayton engine powered solar thermal aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Charles L [Livermore, CA

2012-03-13

A solar thermal powered aircraft powered by heat energy from the sun. A Rankine-Brayton hybrid cycle heat engine is carried by the aircraft body for producing power for a propulsion mechanism, such as a propeller or other mechanism for enabling sustained free flight. The Rankine-Brayton engine has a thermal battery, preferably containing a lithium-hydride and lithium mixture, operably connected to it so that heat is supplied from the thermal battery to a working fluid. A solar concentrator, such as reflective parabolic trough, is movably connected to an optically transparent section of the aircraft body for receiving and concentrating solar energy from within the aircraft. Concentrated solar energy is collected by a heat collection and transport conduit, and heat transported to the thermal battery. A solar tracker includes a heliostat for determining optimal alignment with the sun, and a drive motor actuating the solar concentrator into optimal alignment with the sun based on a determination by the heliostat.

Adaptive Backstepping Control of Lightweight Tower Wind Turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galeazzi, Roberto; Borup, Kasper Trolle; Niemann, Hans Henrik

2015-01-01

the angular deflection of the tower with respect to the vertical axis in response to variations in wind speed. The controller is shown to guarantee asymptotic tracking of the reference trajectory. The performance of the control system is evaluated through deterministic and stochastic simulations including......This paper investigates the feasibility of operating a wind turbine with lightweight tower in the full load region exploiting an adaptive nonlinear controller that allows the turbine to dynamically lean against the wind while maintaining nominal power output. The use of lightweight structures...... for towers and foundations would greatly reduce the construction cost of the wind turbine, however extra features ought be included in the control system architecture to avoid tower collapse. An adaptive backstepping collective pitch controller is proposed for tower point tracking control, i.e. to modify...

Wireless Power Transmission Options for Space Solar Power

Science.gov (United States)

Potter, Seth; Davis, Dean; Born, Martin; Bayer, Martin; Howell, Joe; Mankins, John

2008-01-01

Space Solar Power (SSP), combined with Wireless Power Transmission (WPT), offers the far-term potential to solve major energy problems on Earth. In the long term, we aspire to beam energy to Earth from geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), or even further distances in space. In the near term, we can beam power over more moderate distances, but still stretch the limits of today s technology. In recent studies, a 100 kWe-class "Power Plug" Satellite and a 10 kWe-class Lunar Polar Solar Power outpost have been considered as the first steps in using these WPT options for SSP. Our current assessments include consideration of orbits, wavelengths, and structural designs to meet commercial, civilian government, and military needs. Notional transmitter and receiver sizes are considered for use in supplying 5 to 40 MW of power. In the longer term, lunar or asteroidal material can be used. By using SSP and WPT technology for near-term missions, we gain experience needed for sound decisions in designing and developing larger systems to send power from space to Earth.

Concentrating solar power research at CSIR

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Roos, T

2012-10-01

Full Text Available floor: desalination, abs chiller, hoisting area Tower and storage Tower requirements review, due to Visit to PSA No personnel in tower while the heliostat field is operational All research experiments are controlled from the ground...

Swiss solar power statistics 2007 - Significant expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hostettler, T.

2008-01-01

This article presents and discusses the 2007 statistics for solar power in Switzerland. A significant number of new installations is noted as is the high production figures from newer installations. The basics behind the compilation of the Swiss solar power statistics are briefly reviewed and an overview for the period 1989 to 2007 is presented which includes figures on the number of photovoltaic plant in service and installed peak power. Typical production figures in kilowatt-hours (kWh) per installed kilowatt-peak power (kWp) are presented and discussed for installations of various sizes. Increased production after inverter replacement in older installations is noted. Finally, the general political situation in Switzerland as far as solar power is concerned are briefly discussed as are international developments.

The prospects for cost competitive solar PV power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reichelstein, Stefan; Yorston, Michael

2013-01-01

New solar Photovoltaic (PV) installations have grown globally at a rapid pace in recent years. We provide a comprehensive assessment of the cost competitiveness of this electric power source. Based on data available for the second half of 2011, we conclude that utility-scale PV installations are not yet cost competitive with fossil fuel power plants. In contrast, commercial-scale installations have already attained cost parity in the sense that the generating cost of power from solar PV is comparable to the retail electricity prices that commercial users pay, at least in certain parts of the U.S. This conclusion is shown to depend crucially on both the current federal tax subsidies for solar power and an ideal geographic location for the solar installation. Projecting recent industry trends into the future, we estimate that utility-scale solar PV facilities are on track to become cost competitive by the end of this decade. Furthermore, commercial-scale installations could reach “grid parity” in about ten years, if the current federal tax incentives for solar power were to expire at that point. - Highlights: ► Assessment of the cost competitiveness of new solar Photovoltaic (PV) installations. ► Utility-scale PV installations are not yet cost competitive with fossil fuel power plants. ► Commercial-scale installations have already attained cost parity in certain parts of the U.S. ► Utility-scale solar PV facilities are on track to become cost competitive by the end of this decade

New directions for space solar power

Science.gov (United States)

Mankins, John C.

2009-07-01

Several of the central issues associated with the eventual realization of the vision of solar power from space for terrestrial markets resolve around the expect costs associated with the assembly, inspection, maintenance and repair of future solar power satellite (SPS) stations. In past studies (for example, NASA's "Fresh Look Study", c. 1995-1997) efforts were made to reduce both the scale and mass of large, systems-level interfaces (e.g., the power management and distribution (PMAD) system) and on-orbit fixed infrastructures through the use of modular systems strategies. These efforts have had mixed success (as reflected in the projected on-orbit mass of various systems concepts. However, the author remains convinced of the importance of modular strategies for exceptionally large space systems in eventually realizing the vision of power from space. This paper will introduce some of the key issues associated with cost-competitive space solar power in terrestrial markets. It will examine some of the relevant SPS concepts and will assess the 'pros and cons' of each in terms of space assembly, maintenance and servicing (SAMS) requirements. The paper discusses at a high level some relevant concepts and technologies that may play r role in the eventual, successful resolution of these challenges. The paper concludes with an example of the kind of novel architectural approach for space solar power that is needed.

Marketing of green electrons. Solar-power stock exchanges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nussbaumer-Waelti, E.

1999-01-01

An independent power producer evaluates the current solar-power stock exchanges in Switzerland. Most stock exchanges have been created by electric utilities which want to deliver 'green' power to those of their clients asking for. A first group of solar-power stock exchanges offer to take over the produced solar power at a marginal price. Among them, some organise a competition between the potential solar-power producers, in order to press down the investment cost for the new photovoltaic plants to build. Other stock exchanges propose a periodical adaptation of the prices, especially an adaptation to the capital interest rate. For sure, the total length of the time period for which the contract is established is one of the decisive factors. Because no bank is ready to grant a credit for such an investment without having seen a long-running take-over contract for the produced power [de

Low-cost solar electric power

CERN Document Server

Fraas, Lewis M

2014-01-01

?This book describes recent breakthroughs that promise major cost reductions in solar energy production in a clear and highly accessible manner. The author addresses the three key areas that have commonly resulted in criticism of solar energy in the past: cost, availability, and variability. Coverage includes cutting-edge information on recently developed 40? efficient solar cells, which can produce double the power of currently available commercial cells. The discussion also highlights the potentially transformative emergence of opportunities for integration of solar energy storage and natura

Concentrated solar thermal power - Now

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aringhoff, R.; Brakmann, G. [Solar Thermal Power Industry Association ESTIA, Avenue de la Fauconnerie 73, 1170 Brussels (Belgium); Geyer, M. [IEA SolarPACES Implementing Agreement, Avenida de la Paz 51, 04720 Aguadulce, Almeria (Spain); Teske, S. [Greenpeace International, Ottho Heldringstraat 5, 1066 AZ Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2005-09-15

This report demonstrates that there are no technical, economic or resource barriers to supplying 5% of the world's electricity needs from solar thermal power by 2040. It is written as practical blueprint to improve understanding of the solar thermal contribution to the world energy supply.

Beam-Forming Concentrating Solar Thermal Array Power Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Cwik, Thomas A. (Inventor); Dimotakis, Paul E. (Inventor); Hoppe, Daniel J. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

The present invention relates to concentrating solar-power systems and, more particularly, beam-forming concentrating solar thermal array power systems. A solar thermal array power system is provided, including a plurality of solar concentrators arranged in pods. Each solar concentrator includes a solar collector, one or more beam-forming elements, and one or more beam-steering elements. The solar collector is dimensioned to collect and divert incoming rays of sunlight. The beam-forming elements intercept the diverted rays of sunlight, and are shaped to concentrate the rays of sunlight into a beam. The steering elements are shaped, dimensioned, positioned, and/or oriented to deflect the beam toward a beam output path. The beams from the concentrators are converted to heat at a receiver, and the heat may be temporarily stored or directly used to generate electricity.

Grid-connected distributed solar power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Moyle, R.; Chernoff, H.; Schweizer, T.

This paper discusses some important, though often ignored, technical and economic issues of distributed solar power systems: protection of the utility system and nonsolar customers requires suitable interfaced equipment. Purchase criteria must mirror reality; most analyses use life-cycle costing with low discount rates - most buyers use short payback periods. Distributing, installing, and marketing small, distributed solar systems is more costly than most analyses estimate. Results show that certain local conditions and uncommon purchase considerations can combine to make small, distributed solar power attractive, but lower interconnect costs (per kW), lower marketing and product distribution costs, and more favorable purchase criteria make large, centralized solar energy more attractive. Specifically, the value of dispersed solar systems to investors and utilities can be higher than $2000/kw. However, typical residential owners place a value of well under $1000 on the installed system.

SOLHYCO Project: cogeneration system with concentrated solar energy and biofuels; Projeto SOLHYCO: sistema de cogeracao de energia solar concentrada e biocombustiveis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Celso Eduardo Lins de; Rabi, Jose Antonio; Carrer, Celso da Costa; Cavinatto, Betina; Tomasella, Peterson Ricardo [Universidade de Sao Paulo (FZEA-USP), SP (Brazil). Fac. de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos

2008-07-01

Dispatchable renewable power generation is usually associated with expensive storages or additional back-up systems. Solar-hybrid systems can combine solar energy with an additional fuel and thus reliably provide electric power. If renewable fuels (e.g., biofuels) are employed, power generation becomes 100% sustainable at zero net emissions. Systems based on gas turbines are suited for cogeneration or combined cycles, making them very efficient and cost effective. These cycles require high temperatures and pressures, thus the solar energy has to be concentrated by a heliostat field onto the top of a tower and transferred by a solar receiver into the gas turbine cycle. At smaller power levels, cogeneration of heat and power is an attractive option by making use of the high exhaust temperature of the gas turbine, thus getting an additional benefit. The aim of this proposal is an significant extension of the objectives of the recently started SOLHYCO project by means A profound knowledge for market introduction will be gained by the assessment of the Brazilian market concerning solar resources, biofuels, electricity markets, heat markets and social needs. A detailed design study for a first demonstration unit will deliver all necessary economical, social and environmental data and accordingly 3 case studies have been defined. (author)

Experimental investigation of solar powered diaphragm and helical pumps

Science.gov (United States)

For several years, many types of solar powered water pumping systems were evaluated, and in this paper, diaphragm and helical solar photovoltaic (PV) powered water pumping systems are discussed. Data were collected on diaphragm and helical pumps which were powered by different solar PV arrays at mul...

A study of the life expectancy of cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolvin, M.; Chauvel, D.

1993-01-01

The paper describes the following different tasks of the study whose aim was to extend the life time of cooling towers for French Nuclear Power plants to 40 years. The aging factors specific to cooling towers were measured and analysed with regard to the external surface, the internal surface and inside the concrete. The safety coefficient for buckling was calculated and then the stress analysis of the materials (concrete and steel) was done. A special computer program written for cooling towers was used with a model including the soil stiffness and the supports of the tower. (author)

Consumer attitudes towards domestic solar power systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faiers, Adam [Institute of Water and Environment, Cranfield University at Silsoe, Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4DT (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: a.j.faiers.so2@cranfield.ac.uk; Neame, Charles [Institute of Water and Environment, Cranfield University at Silsoe, Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4DT (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: c.neame@cranfield.ac.uk

2006-09-15

The success of the UK policy to reduce carbon emissions is partly dependent on the ability to persuade householders to become more energy efficient, and to encourage installation of domestic solar systems. Solar power is an innovation in the UK but the current policy of stimulating the market with grants is not resulting in widespread adoption. This case study, using householders in central England, investigates householder attitudes towards characteristics of solar systems and identifies some of the barriers to adoption. The study utilises Diffusion of Innovations theory to identify attitudes towards system attributes, and isolates the characteristics that are preventing a pragmatic 'early majority' from adopting the technology. A group of 'early adopters', and a group of assumed 'early majority' adopters of solar power were surveyed and the results show that overall, although the 'early majority' demonstrate a positive perception of the environmental characteristics of solar power, its financial, economic and aesthetic characteristics are limiting adoption. Differences exist between the two groups showing support for the concept of a 'chasm' between adopter categories after Moore (Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-tech Products to Mainstream Customers, second ed. Harper Perennial, New York). However, if consumers cannot identify the relative advantage of solar power over their current sources of power, which is supplied readily and cheaply through a mains system, it is unlikely that adoption will follow. Recommendations concerning the marketing and development of solar products are identified.

Solar thermal power meeting - Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-07-01

This document summarizes the presentations and debates of the first edition of the Solar thermal power meeting. Content: 1 - Opening talk (Jean-Louis BAL, SER); 2 - Solar thermal power, European and global road-maps (Cedric Philibert, IEA; Mariangels Perez Latorre, Estela); 3 - first round-table on the international development of solar energy (Philippe Lorec, DGEC France; Said Mouline, Aderee Morocco; Obaid Amrane, Masen Morocco; Kawther Lihidheb, ANME Tunisia; Abdelaziz Boumahra, Rouiba Eclairage, Algeria; Badis Derradji, NEAL Algeria; Yao Azoumah, Lesee, 2IE Foundation Burkina Faso; Mamadou Amadou Kane, MPEM Mauritania; Jean-Charles Mulet, Bertin Technologies); 4 - Second round-table on the French solar thermal offer for export (Georgina Grenon, DGEC; Stephanie Bouzigueseschmann, DG Tresor; Armand Pineda, Alstom; Florent Brunet, Mena-Areva; Roger Pujol, CNIM; Gilles David, Enertime; Michel Wohrer, Saed; Mathieu Vrinat, Sogreah; Marc Benmarraze, Solar Euromed; 5 - Presentation of Amisole - Moroccan association of solar and wind industries (Ahmed Squalli, Amisole); 6 - Third round-table on French research at the solar industry service (Gilles Flamant, Promes Lab. CNRS; Francois Moisan, Ademe; Tahar Melliti, CGI; Andre Joffre, Derbi; Michel Wohrer, Capenergies; 7 - Fourth round table on projects financing (Vincent Girard, Loan Officer BEI; Bertrand Marchais, Miga World Bank; Philippe Meunier, CDC Climat Groupe Caisse des Depots; Christian de Gromard, AFD; Laurent Belouze, Natixis; Piotr Michalowski, Loan Officer BEI); 8 - Closing of the meeting (Roger Pujol, SER)

Concentrated solar thermal power - Now

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aringhoff, R.; Brakmann, G. [Solar Thermal Power Industry Association ESTIA, Avenue de la Fauconnerie 73, 1170 Brussels (Belgium); Geyer, M. [IEA SolarPACES Implementing Agreement, Avenida de la Paz 51, 04720 Aguadulce, Almeria (Spain); Teske, S. [Greenpeace International, Ottho Heldringstraat 5, 1066 AZ Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2005-09-15

This report demonstrates that there are no technical, economic or resource barriers to supplying 5% of the world's electricity needs from solar thermal power by 2040. It is written as practical blueprint to improve understanding of the solar thermal contribution to the world energy supply.

An automated tool for solar power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natsheh, E.M.; Natsheh, A.R.; Albarbar, AH

2014-01-01

In this paper a novel model of smart grid-connected solar power system is developed. The model is implemented using MatLab/SIMULINK software package. Artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm is used for maximizing the generated power based on maximum power point tracker (MPPT) implementation. The dynamic behavior of the proposed model is examined under different operating conditions. Solar irradiance, and temperature data are gathered from a grid connected, 28.8 kW solar power system located in central Manchester. The developed system and its control strategy exhibit excellent performance with tracking efficiency exceed 94.5%. The proposed model and its control strategy offer a proper tool for smart grid performance optimization. (author)

Effect of Tower Shadow and Wind Shear in a Wind Farm on AC Tie-Line Power Oscillations of Interconnected Power Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tan, Jin; Hu, Weihao; Wang, Xiaoru

2013-01-01

This paper describes a frequency domain approach for evaluating the impact of tower shadow and wind shear effects (TSWS) on tie-line power oscillations. A simplified frequency domain model of an interconnected power system with a wind farm is developed. The transfer function, which relates the tie......-line power variation to the mechanical power variation of a wind turbine, and the expression of the maximum magnitude of tie-line power oscillations are derived to identify the resonant condition and evaluate the potential risk. The effects of the parameters on the resonant magnitude of the tie-line power...... are also discussed. The frequency domain analysis reveals that TSWS can excite large tie-line power oscillations if the frequency of TSWS approaches the tie-line resonant frequency, especially in the case that the wind farm is integrated into a relatively small grid and the tie-line of the interconnected...

Statistics Analysis Measures Painting of Cooling Tower

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Zacharopoulou

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study refers to the cooling tower of Megalopolis (construction 1975 and protection from corrosive environment. The maintenance of the cooling tower took place in 2008. The cooling tower was badly damaged from corrosion of reinforcement. The parabolic cooling towers (factory of electrical power are a typical example of construction, which has a special aggressive environment. The protection of cooling towers is usually achieved through organic coatings. Because of the different environmental impacts on the internal and external side of the cooling tower, a different system of paint application is required. The present study refers to the damages caused by corrosion process. The corrosive environments, the application of this painting, the quality control process, the measures and statistics analysis, and the results were discussed in this study. In the process of quality control the following measurements were taken into consideration: (1 examination of the adhesion with the cross-cut test, (2 examination of the film thickness, and (3 controlling of the pull-off resistance for concrete substrates and paintings. Finally, this study refers to the correlations of measurements, analysis of failures in relation to the quality of repair, and rehabilitation of the cooling tower. Also this study made a first attempt to apply the specific corrosion inhibitors in such a large structure.

Proton irradiation effects of amorphous silicon solar cell for solar power satellite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morita, Yousuke; Oshima, Takeshi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma (Japan). Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment; Sasaki, Susumu; Kuroda, Hideo; Ushirokawa, Akio

1997-03-01

Flexible amorphous silicon(fa-Si) solar cell module, a thin film type, is regarded as a realistic power generator for solar power satellite. The radiation resistance of fa-Si cells was investigated by the irradiations of 3,4 and 10 MeV protons. The hydrogen gas treatment of the irradiated fa-Si cells was also studied. The fa-Si cell shows high radiation resistance for proton irradiations, compared with a crystalline silicon solar cell. (author)

Computational studies on the effect of geometric parameters on the performance of a solar chimney power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Sandeep K.; Prasad, Deepak; Ahmed, M. Rafiuddin

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: This work is aimed at optimizing the geometry of the major components of a solar chimney power plant using ANSYS-CFX. The collector inlet opening, collector height, collector outlet diameter, the chimney throat diameter and the chimney divergence angle were varied for the same chimney height and collector diameter and the performance of the plant was studied in terms of the available power and an optimum configuration was obtained. The temperature and velocity variations in the collector and along the chimney height were also studied. - Highlights: • Geometry of the major components of a solar chimney power plant optimized using CFX. • Collector inlet opening, height, outlet diameter, chimney throat diameter, and the chimney divergence angle were varied. • Temperature and velocity variations and available power were obtained for different configurations. • Optimum values of collector outlet height and diameter and the divergence angle were obtained. - Abstract: A solar chimney power plant (SCPP) is a renewable-energy power plant that transforms solar energy into electricity. The SCPP consists of three essential elements – solar air collector, chimney tower, and wind turbine(s). The present work is aimed at optimizing the geometry of the major components of the SCPP using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software ANSYS-CFX to study and improve the flow characteristics inside the SCPP. The overall chimney height and the collector diameter of the SCPP were kept constant at 10 m and 8 m respectively. The collector inlet opening was varied from 0.05 m to 0.2 m. The collector outlet diameter was also varied from 0.6 m to 1 m. These modified collectors were tested with chimneys of different divergence angles (0°–3°) and also different chimney inlet openings of 0.6 m to 1 m. The diameter of the chimney was also varied from 0.25 m to 0.3 m. Based on the CFX computational results, the best configuration was achieved using the chimney

Evaluating the relationships between solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence from Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and gross primary productivity from eddy covariance flux towers

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X.; Xiao, J.; He, B.

2017-12-01

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) opens a new perspective on the monitoring of vegetation photosynthesis from space, and has been recently used to estimate gross primary productivity (GPP). However, previous studies on SIF were mainly based on satellite observations from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2), and the evaluation of these coarse-resolution SIF measurements using GPP derived from eddy covariance (EC) flux towers has been hindered by the scale mismatch between satellite and tower footprints. We use new far-red SIF observations from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite with much finer spatial resolution and GPP data from EC flux towers from 2014 to 2016 to examine the relationship between GPP and SIF for temperate forests. The OCO-2 SIF tracked tower GPP fairly well, and had strong correlation with tower GPP at both retrieval bands (757nm and 771nm) and both instantaneous (mid-day) and daily timescales. Daily SIF at 757nm (SIF757) exhibited much stronger correlation with tower GPP compared to MODIS enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from either Terra or Aqua and had a similarly strong relationship as EVI based on the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) corrected reflectance product (Terra+Aqua). Absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) explained 85% of the variance in SIF757, while the product of APAR and two environmental scalars - fTmin and fVPD (representing minimum temperature stress and water stress) explained slightly higher variance (92%) in SIF757. This suggests that SIF mainly depends on APAR and also contains information on light use efficiency (LUE) reflecting environmental stresses and physiological or biochemical variations of vegetation. The hyperbolic model based on SIF757 estimated GPP well (R2=0.81, pmodel - the MODSI GPP algorithm. Our findings demonstrate the strong

Energy parameter estimation in solar powered wireless sensor networks

KAUST Repository

Mousa, Mustafa; Claudel, Christian G.

2014-01-01

The operation of solar powered wireless sensor networks is associated with numerous challenges. One of the main challenges is the high variability of solar power input and battery capacity, due to factors such as weather, humidity, dust and temperature. In this article, we propose a set of tools that can be implemented onboard high power wireless sensor networks to estimate the battery condition and capacity as well as solar power availability. These parameters are very important to optimize sensing and communications operations and maximize the reliability of the complete system. Experimental results show that the performance of typical Lithium Ion batteries severely degrades outdoors in a matter of weeks or months, and that the availability of solar energy in an urban solar powered wireless sensor network is highly variable, which underlines the need for such power and energy estimation algorithms.

Energy parameter estimation in solar powered wireless sensor networks

KAUST Repository

Mousa, Mustafa

2014-02-24

The operation of solar powered wireless sensor networks is associated with numerous challenges. One of the main challenges is the high variability of solar power input and battery capacity, due to factors such as weather, humidity, dust and temperature. In this article, we propose a set of tools that can be implemented onboard high power wireless sensor networks to estimate the battery condition and capacity as well as solar power availability. These parameters are very important to optimize sensing and communications operations and maximize the reliability of the complete system. Experimental results show that the performance of typical Lithium Ion batteries severely degrades outdoors in a matter of weeks or months, and that the availability of solar energy in an urban solar powered wireless sensor network is highly variable, which underlines the need for such power and energy estimation algorithms.

Optimized molten salt receivers for ultimate trough solar fields

Science.gov (United States)

Riffelmann, Klaus-J.; Richert, Timo; Kuckelkorn, Thomas

2016-05-01

Today parabolic trough collectors are the most successful concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. For the next development step new systems with increased operation temperature and new heat transfer fluids (HTF) are currently developed. Although the first power tower projects have successfully been realized, up to now there is no evidence of an all-dominant economic or technical advantage of power tower or parabolic trough. The development of parabolic trough technology towards higher performance and significant cost reduction have led to significant improvements in competitiveness. The use of molten salt instead of synthetic oil as heat transfer fluid will bring down the levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) even further while providing dispatchable energy with high capacity factors. FLABEG has developed the Ultimate TroughTM (UT) collector, jointly with sbp Sonne GmbH and supported by public funds. Due to its validated high optical accuracy, the collector is very suitable to operate efficiently at elevated temperatures up to 550 °C. SCHOTT will drive the key-innovations by introducing the 4th generation solar receiver that addresses the most significant performance and cost improvement measures. The new receivers have been completely redesigned to provide a product platform that is ready for high temperature operation up to 550 °C. Moreover distinct product features have been introduced to reduce costs and risks in solar field assembly and installation. The increased material and design challenges incurred with the high temperature operation have been reflected in sophisticated qualification and validation procedures.

Transporting method for adsorbing tower and the adsorbing tower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimokawa, Nobuhiro.

1996-01-01

A cylindrical plastic bag is disposed to the upper surface of an adsorbing tower so as to surround a suspending piece. One opening of the bag is sealed, and other opening is secured in a sealed state to a bag holding portion disposed to glove box at a gate for the adsorbing tower box. The adsorbing tower is transported into the glove box, and after the completion of the operation of the adsorbing tower, the adsorbing tower is taken out in a state that the bag is restricted and sealed at a portion below the adsorbing tower. The bag may be made of a vinyl plastic, the bag holding portion may be a short-cylindrical protrusion, and may have an O-ring groove at the outer surface. Even if the adsorbing tower is heavy, the adsorbing tower can be carried out easily in a state where it is sealed gas tightly. (N.H.)

The Future of Solar Power in the United Kingdom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerard Reid

2015-07-01

Full Text Available We used detailed industry data to analyse the impacts of expected further cost reductions on the competitiveness of solar power in Britain, and assess whether the solar market can survive without support in the near future. We investigated three solar power markets: large-scale, ground-mounted “solar farms” (defined in our analysis as larger than a 5000 kilowatt system; commercial roof-top (250 kW; and residential rooftop (3 kW. We found that all three would be economic without support in the next decade. Such an outcome assumes progressively falling support under a stable policy regime. We found that unsubsidised residential solar power may be cheaper with battery storage within the next five to 10 years. Unsupported domestic solar battery packs achieve payback periods of less than 10 years by 2025. That could create an inflexion point driving adoption of domestic solar systems. The variability of solar power will involve some grid integration costs at higher penetration levels, such as more frequent power market scheduling; more interconnector capacity; storage; and backup power. These costs and responses could be weighed against non-market benefits including the potential for grid balancing; lower carbon and particulate emissions; and energy security.

Solar power in South Africa; Anpfiff in Suedafrika

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ristau, Oliver

2010-07-01

Excellent reimbursement regulations for solar power should be enough to promote photovoltaic energy conversion in South Africa. However, public utilities are not obliged to buy solar power, and the connection of private solar systems to the public grid is a matter for negotiation. Many private investors therefore decide to instal autonomous systems. (orig.)

Stillwater Hybrid Geo-Solar Power Plant Optimization Analyses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wendt, Daniel S.; Mines, Gregory L.; Turchi, Craig S.; Zhu, Guangdong; Cohan, Sander; Angelini, Lorenzo; Bizzarri, Fabrizio; Consoli, Daniele; De Marzo, Alessio

2015-09-02

The Stillwater Power Plant is the first hybrid plant in the world able to bring together a medium-enthalpy geothermal unit with solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems. Solar field and power plant models have been developed to predict the performance of the Stillwater geothermal / solar-thermal hybrid power plant. The models have been validated using operational data from the Stillwater plant. A preliminary effort to optimize performance of the Stillwater hybrid plant using optical characterization of the solar field has been completed. The Stillwater solar field optical characterization involved measurement of mirror reflectance, mirror slope error, and receiver position error. The measurements indicate that the solar field may generate 9% less energy than the design value if an appropriate tracking offset is not employed. A perfect tracking offset algorithm may be able to boost the solar field performance by about 15%. The validated Stillwater hybrid plant models were used to evaluate hybrid plant operating strategies including turbine IGV position optimization, ACC fan speed and turbine IGV position optimization, turbine inlet entropy control using optimization of multiple process variables, and mixed working fluid substitution. The hybrid plant models predict that each of these operating strategies could increase net power generation relative to the baseline Stillwater hybrid plant operations.

Effects of the selection of heat transfer fluid and condenser type on the performance of a solar thermal power plant with technoeconomic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yilmazoglu, M. Zeki

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The effects of the selection of HTF and condenser type on STPs were examined. • Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for STP was investigated. • LCOE for STP compared with gas turbine and combined cycle. • CSP with thermal storage can be competitive technology with carbon tax/credits. - Abstract: Renewable electricity generation systems have an increasing trend in terms of usage due to aiming to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and energy source diversification strategies of countries. Parabolic trough, Fresnel, and solar tower systems have been used to generate solar thermal electricity around the world. In this study, the effects of the selection of collector heat transfer fluid (HTF) and condenser type on a concentrated solar thermal power plant were analyzed. Net power, net electrical efficiency, and economic analysis were carried out for the selected HTFs for different collector outlet temperature cases. In the case of condenser type selection four different systems were considered; water cooled, air cooled (dry air) and air cooled with water spraying (spraying before fan and spraying before and after fan). Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and specific investment cost were calculated. According to the results, specific investment cost and LCOE were found to be 4000 USD/kW_e_l and 0.207 USD/kW h, respectively. Carbon tax/credit was also included to the calculations of LCOE and a comparison study was carried out for gas turbine, combined cycle and solar thermal power plant with thermal storage. Including carbon tax/credit to the LCOE shows that solar thermal power plant with heat storage can be competitive when compared to gas turbines.

A theoretical model of rain–wind–induced in-plane galloping on overhead transmission tower-lines system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Zhou

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Rain–wind–induced galloping phenomenon often occurs on overhead transmission tower-lines system, just as icing galloping and vortex-excited vibration; this kind of instability oscillation can cause power-line breakage or tower failure. However, the existing theoretical models of rain–wind–induced galloping are mainly based on the hypothesis of the overhead power-lines with fixed ends, which is inconsistent with the actual operation situation. Therefore, this article thus presents a preliminary theoretical study and proposes a new theoretical model taking into account the effect of tower excitations on the in-plane galloping of the overhead power-line and on the motion of the upper rain-line. The theoretical model is solved by Galerkin method and verified by the comparison with the test data obtained in the available literature involved with the overhead power-lines with fixed towers or moving towers. It turns out that the tower excitations may intensify the in-plane galloping amplitude of the overhead power-line within a certain range of frequency ratio and enable better comprehension of rain–wind–induced galloping mechanism.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A PROTOTYPE SOLAR UPDRAFT CHIMNEY IN ASWAN/EGYPT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reinhard Harte

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This work is part of a joint project funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF of the Arab republic of Egypt and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF of the Federal Republic of Germany. Continuation of the use of fossil fuels in electricity production systems causes many problems such as: global warming, other environmental concerns, the depletion of fossil fuels reserves and continuing rise in the price of fuels. One of the most promising paths to solve the energy crisis is utilizing the renewable energy resources. In Egypt, high insolation and more than 90 percent available desert lands are two main factors that encourage the full development of solar power plants for thermal and electrical energy production. With an average temperature of about 40 °C for more than half of the year and average annual sunshine of about 3200 hours, which is close to the theoretical maximum annual sunshine hours, Aswan is one of the hottest and sunniest cities in the world. This climatic condition makes the city an ideal place for implementing solar energy harvesting projects from solar updraft tower. Therefore, a Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP is being installed at Aswan City. The chimney height is 20.0 m, its diameter is 1.0m and the collector is a four-sided pyramid, which has a side length of 28.5 m. A mathematical model is used to predict its performance. The model shows that the plant can produce a maximum theoretical power of 2 kW. Moreover, a CFD code is used to analyse the temperature and velocity distribution inside the collector, turbine and chimney at different operating conditions. Static calculations, including dead weight and wind forces on the solar updraft chimney and its solar collector, have been performed for the prototype. Mechanical loading and ambient impact on highly used industrial structures such as chimneys and masts cause lifetime-related deteriorations. Structural degradations occur not only from

Solar Thermal Power.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniels, David K.

The different approaches to the generation of power from solar energy may be roughly divided into five categories: distributed collectors; central receivers; biomass; ocean thermal energy conversion; and photovoltaic devices. The first approach (distributed collectors) is the subject of this module. The material presented is designed to…

Deuterium- and 18O-content in the cooling water of power station cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heimbach, H.; Dongmann, G.

1976-09-01

The 0-18/0-16 and D/H isotope ratios of water from two different cooling towers were determined by mass spectrometry. The observed isotope fractionation corresponds to that known from natural evaporation or transpiration processes: cooling tower I: delta(D) = 46.8 per thousand, delta( 18 O) = 7.6 per thousand cooling tower II: delta(D) = 33.9 per thousand delta( 18 O) = 5.7 per thousand Evaluation of simple compartment models of a cooling tower and a distillation device suggests that there exists some isotope discrimination within the open trickling unit of a cooling tower analogous to that in a rectification column. In a real cooling tower, however, this effect is compensated largely by the recycling of the cooling water, resulting only in a small enrichment of the heavy isotopes. This can be understood as the result of three partial effects: 1) a fractionation in the vapor pressure equilibrium, 2) a kinetic effect due to diffusion of the water vapor into a turbulent atmosphere, and 3) an exchange effect which is proportional to relative humidity. This low enrichment of the heavy isotope excludes the technical use of cooling towers as isotope separation devices. (orig.) [de

Stray current induced corrosion in lightning rod cables of 525 kV power lines towers: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojcicki, F. R.

2003-12-01

Full Text Available With the growth of several areas in modem society, the necessity to generate and carry electrical energy to big cities has greatly increased. Cables supported by power towers with galvanized steel foundation usually carry energy. As the foundations are underground they may cause high rates of corrosion. These are usually detected by a conventional potential measurement using a Cu/CuSO₄ reference electrode. It is believed that corrosion results from stray currents that flow through the ground to close the loop between neighboring towers. Stray currents originate in the lightning rod cables of the power line towers, induced by the strong electromagnetic and electric fields of the energized power lines. The intensity and direction of those currents were measured, indicating substantial values of both their AC and DC components. The potential of the tower ground system, measured in the perpendicular direction of the main axis of the power line, was plotted as a function of the distance to the tower base. The results clearly indicated the tendency to corrosive attack in the anodic towers as reflected by the slope of the plot, whereas no signs of corrosion could be found in the reverse slope, confirming the visual inspection of the foundation. The profile of the potential plots could be changed providing the electric insulation of the lightning rod cable.

Con el crecimiento de varias áreas en la sociedad moderna, la necesidad de generar y conducir la energía eléctrica a las grandes ciudades ha aumentado enormemente. La energía, normalmente, se transporta por cables sostenidos por torres de energía con base de acero galvanizado. Cuando las bases son subterráneas, pueden ocasionar altas tasas de corrosión. Estas, normalmente, se detectan por la medida convencional del potencial empleando un electrodo de referencia de Cu/CuSO₄. Se cree que la corrosión es el resultado de corrientes perdidas que fluyen a través de la

Solar dynamic power system definition study

Science.gov (United States)

Wallin, Wayne E.; Friefeld, Jerry M.

1988-01-01

The solar dynamic power system design and analysis study compared Brayton, alkali-metal Rankine, and free-piston Stirling cycles with silicon planar and GaAs concentrator photovoltaic power systems for application to missions beyond the Phase 2 Space Station level of technology for all power systems. Conceptual designs for Brayton and Stirling power systems were developed for 35 kWe and 7 kWe power levels. All power systems were designed for 7-year end-of-life conditions in low Earth orbit. LiF was selected for thermal energy storage for the solar dynamic systems. Results indicate that the Stirling cycle systems have the highest performance (lowest weight and area) followed by the Brayton cycle, with photovoltaic systems considerably lower in performance. For example, based on the performance assumptions used, the planar silicon power system weight was 55 to 75 percent higher than for the Stirling system. A technology program was developed to address areas wherein significant performance improvements could be realized relative to the current state-of-the-art as represented by Space Station. In addition, a preliminary evaluation of hardenability potential found that solar dynamic systems can be hardened beyond the hardness inherent in the conceptual designs of this study.

Bird strike and electrocutions at power lines, communication towers, and wind turbines: state of the art and state of the science - next steps toward mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Albert M. Manville II

2005-01-01

Migratory birds suffer considerable human-caused mortality from structures built to provide public services and amenities. Three such entities are increasing nationwide: communication towers, power lines, and wind turbines. Communication towers have been growing at an exponential rate over at least the past 6 years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is especially...

Solar power satellite life-cycle energy recovery consideration

Science.gov (United States)

Weingartner, S.; Blumenberg, J.

The construction, in-orbit installation and maintenance of a solar power satellite (SPS) will demand large amounts of energy. As a minimum requirement for an energy effective power satellite it is asked that this amount of energy be recovered. The energy effectiveness in this sense resulting in a positive net energy balance is a prerequisite for cost-effective power satellite. This paper concentrates on life-cycle energy recovery instead on monetary aspects. The trade-offs between various power generation systems (different types of solar cells, solar dynamic), various construction and installation strategies (using terrestrial or extra-terrestrial resources) and the expected/required lifetime of the SPS are reviewed. The presented work is based on a 2-year study performed at the Technical University of Munich. The study showed that the main energy which is needed to make a solar power satellite a reality is required for the production of the solar power components (up to 65%), especially for the solar cell production. Whereas transport into orbit accounts in the order of 20% and the receiving station on earth (rectenna) requires about 15% of the total energy investment. The energetic amortization time, i.e. the time the SPS has to be operational to give back the amount of energy which was needed for its production installation and operation, is about two years.

Solar power satellite—Life-cycle energy recovery considerations

Science.gov (United States)

Weingartner, S.; Blumenberg, J.

1995-05-01

The construction, in-orbit installation and maintenance of a solar power satellite (SPS) will demand large amounts of energy. As a minimum requirement for an energy effective power satellite it is asked that this amount of energy be recovered. The energy effectiveness in this sense resulting in a positive net energy balance is a prerequisite for a cost-effective power satellite. This paper concentrates on life-cycle energy recovery instead of monetary aspects. The trade-offs between various power generation systems (different types of solar cells, solar dynamic), various construction and installation strategies (using terrestrial or extra-terrestrial resources) and the expected/required lifetime of the SPS are reviewed. The presented work is based on a 2-year study performed at the Technical University of Munich. The study showed that the main energy which is needed to make a solar power satellite a reality is required for the production of the solar power plant components (up to 65%), especially for the solar cell production. Whereas transport into orbit accounts in the order of 20% and the receiving station on Earth (rectenna) requires in the order of 15% of the total energy investment. The energetic amortization time, i.e. the time the SPS has to be operational to give back the amount of energy which was needed for its production, installation and operation, is in the order of two years.

Electrostatic protection of the solar power satellite and rectenna. Part 1: Protection of the solar power satellite

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

Several features of the interactions of the Solar Power Satellite (SPS) with its space environment are examined theoretically. The voltages produced at various surfaces due to space plasmas and the plasma leakage currents through the kapton and sapphire solar cell blankets are calculated. At geosynchronous orbit, this parasitic power loss is only 0.7%, and is easily compensated by oversizing. At low Earth orbit, the power loss is potentially much larger (3%), and anomalous arcing is expected for the EOTV high voltage negative surfaces. Preliminary results of a three dimensional self consistent plasma and electric field computer program are presented, confirming the validity of the predictions made from the one dimensional models. Lastly, magnetic shielding of the satellite is considered to reduce the power drain and to protect the solar cells from energetic electron and plasma ion bombardment. It is concluded that minor modifications can allow the SPS to operate safely and efficiently in its space environment. Subsequent design changes will substantially alter the basic conclusions.

Analysis of a natural draught tower in the circulation seawater system of nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tijerina S, F.; Vargas A, A.

2009-10-01

The analysis of a natural draught tower in open circuit for the cooling system of seawater circulation on the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde, it is based on conditions of 2027 MWt and 2317 MWt, where the flows of circulation water system hardly vary and whose purpose will be, to cool the seawater circulation. The circulation water system is used as heat drain in main condenser of turbo generator to condense the nuclear vapor. The annual average temperature in the seawater at present is of 26 C to the entrance to circulation water system and it is vary in accordance with the time of year. The mean temperature of leaving of circulation water system to the sea is of 41 C. Having a cooling tower to reduce the entrance temperature to the circulation water system, it improves the efficiency of thermal transfer in condenser, it improves the vacuum in condenser giving more operative margin to avoid condenser losses by air entrances and nuclear power plant shutdowns, as well as for to improve the efficiency of operative balance of nuclear power plant, also it prevents the impact in thermal transfer efficiency in condenser by the climatic change. (Author)

Feature Selection and ANN Solar Power Prediction

OpenAIRE

O’Leary, Daniel; Kubby, Joel

2017-01-01

A novel method of solar power forecasting for individuals and small businesses is developed in this paper based on machine learning, image processing, and acoustic classification techniques. Increases in the production of solar power at the consumer level require automated forecasting systems to minimize loss, cost, and environmental impact for homes and businesses that produce and consume power (prosumers). These new participants in the energy market, prosumers, require new artificial neural...

Opportunities to integrate solar technologies into the Chilean lithium mining industry - reducing process related GHG emissions of a strategic storage resource

Science.gov (United States)

Telsnig, Thomas; Potz, Christian; Haas, Jannik; Eltrop, Ludger; Palma-Behnke, Rodrigo

2017-06-01

The arid northern regions of Chile are characterized by an intensive mineral mining industry and high solar irradiance levels. Besides Chile's main mining products, copper, molybdenum and iron, the production of lithium carbonate from lithium containing brines has become strategically important due to the rising demand for battery technologies worldwide. Its energy-intensive production may affect the ecological footprint of the product and the country's climate targets. Thus, the use of solar technologies for electricity and heat production might constitute an interesting option for CO2 mitigation. This study aims to quantify the impacts of the lithium carbonate production processes in Chile on climate change, and to identify site-specific integration options of solar energy technologies to reduce GHG life-cycle emissions. The considered solar integration options include a parabolic trough power plant with a molten salt storage, a solar tower power plant with molten salt receiver and molten salt storage, a one-axis tracking photovoltaic energy system for electricity, and two solar thermal power plants with Ruths storage (steam accumulator) for thermal heat production. CSP plants were identified as measures with the highest GHG mitigation potential reducing the CO2 emissions for the entire production chain and the lithium production between 16% and 33%. In a scenario that combines solar technologies for electricity and thermal energy generation, up to 59% of the CO2 emissions at the lithium production sites in Chile can be avoided. A comparison of the GHG abatement costs of the proposed solar integration options indicates that the photovoltaic system, the solar thermal plant with limited storage and the solar tower power plant are the most cost effective options.

Can industry afford solar energy

Science.gov (United States)

Kreith, F.; Bezdek, R.

1983-03-01

Falling oil prices and conservation measures have reduced the economic impetus to develop new energy sources, thus decreasing the urgency for bringing solar conversion technologies to commercial readiness at an early date. However, the capability for solar to deliver thermal energy for industrial uses is proven. A year-round operation would be three times as effective as home heating, which is necessary only part of the year. Flat plate, parabolic trough, and solar tower power plant demonstration projects, though uneconomically operated, have revealed engineering factors necessary for successful use of solar-derived heat for industrial applications. Areas of concern have been categorized as technology comparisons, load temperatures, plant size, location, end-use, backup requirements, and storage costs. Tax incentives have, however, supported home heating and not industrial uses, and government subsidies have historically gone to conventional energy sources. Tax credit programs which could lead to a 20% market penetration by solar energy in the industrial sector by the year 2000 are presented.

Solar powered Stirling engine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meijer, R.J.

1987-11-24

In a solar dish module which comprises a dish which receives incident solar rays and reflects them to a focus at which is located the combination of a receiver and a heat engine organized and arranged so that the heat energy of the reflected solar rays collected at the receiver powers the engine, and wherein the receiver and heat engine are supported from the dish by a framework, the improvement is described which comprises journal means for journaling at least the engine on the framework to maintain certain predetermined spatial orientation for the engine in relation to the direction of gravity irrespective of spatial orientation of the dish.

Fuzzy Controller for a Voltage-Regulated Solar-Powered MPPT System for Hybrid Power System Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaw-Kuen Shiau

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design of a fuzzy-logic-based voltage-regulated solar power maximum power point tracking (MPPT system for applications involving hybrid power systems. The system contains a solar power system and battery as the primary and secondary power sources, respectively. The solar system alone supplies power to the electric motor and maintains the output voltage at a predetermined level when it has sufficient power. When the solar power is insufficient, the solar system is operated at its maximum power point (MPP and the battery is engaged to compensate for the insufficiency. First, a variant of the incremental conductance MPP condition was established. Under the MPP condition, the voltage-regulated MPPT system was formulated as a feedback control system, where the MPP condition and voltage regulation requirements were used as the system inputs. Next, a fuzzy controller was developed to perform the voltage-regulated MPPT function for the hybrid power system. A simulation model based on Matrix laboratory (MATLAB/SIMULINK (a block diagram environment for multi-domain simulation and model-based design and a piecewise linear electric circuit simulation (PLECS tool for controlling the dc motor velocity was developed to verify the voltage-regulated solar power MPPT system.

Concentrating Solar Power Program Review 2013 (Book) (Revised)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2013-06-01

This U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Concentrating Solar Power Program Review Meeting booklet will be provided to attendees at the Concentrating Solar Power Review Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on April 23-25, 2013.

Leasing solar power instead of buying it; Solarpaechter statt Stromkaeufer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oppen, Margarete von [Rechtsanwaltssozietaet Geiser und von Oppen, Berlin (Germany)

2012-11-01

Owners of PV systems wo let their tenants or neighbours use their solar power may make bigger profits than from reimbursement for power supply to the public grid. The contribution relates solar power price components to solar module types.

Vibration analysis of three guyed tower designs for intermediate size wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Christie, R. J.

1982-01-01

Three guyed tower designs were analyzed for intermediate size wind turbines. The four lowest natural frequencies of vibration of the three towers concepts were estimated. A parametric study was performed on each tower to determine the effect of varying such tower properties as the inertia and stiffness of the tower and guys, the inertia values of the nacelle and rotor, and the rotational speed of the rotor. Only the two lowest frequencies were in a range where they could be excited by the rotor blade passing frequencies. There two frequencies could be tuned by varying the guy stiffness, the guy attachment point on the tower, the tower and mass stiffness, and the nacelle/rotor/power train masses.

Cooling tower and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, J.; Ederhof, A.; Gosdowski, J.; Harms, A.; Ide, G.; Klotz, B.; Kowalczyk, R.; Necker, P.; Tesche, W.

The influence of a cooling tower on the environment, or rather the influence of the environment on the cooling tower stands presently -along with the cooling water supply - in the middle of much discussion. The literature on these questions can hardly be overlooked by the experts concerned, especially not by the power station designers and operators. The document 'Cooling Tower and Environment' is intented to give a general idea of the important publications in this field, and to inform of the present state of technology. In this, the explanations on every section make it easier to get to know the specific subject area. In addition to older standard literature, this publication contains the best-known literature of recent years up to spring 1975, including some articles written in English. Further English literature has been collected by the ZAED (KFK) and is available at the VGB-Geschaefsstelle. Furthermore, The Bundesumweltamt compiles the literature on the subject of 'Environmental protection'. On top of that, further documentation centres are listed at the end of this text. (orig.) [de

Solar photovoltaic power for water desalination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wood, J. R.; Crutcher, J. L.; Norbedo, A. J.; Cummings, A. B.

1980-07-01

There is a considerable global need for systems which can meet the drinking water requirements of small communities (7000 people or less) from brackish water or from seawater. Solar photovoltaic panels are an ideal source of power for the purpose, primarily because they produce electricity, which can be used to power a membrane type desalting unit, i.e., either a reverse osmosis plant or an electrodialysis unit. In addition, electricity is most convenient for feedwater pumping. This paper addresses considerations which arise in the design and construction of a complete solar powered water desalination system which requires no supply of fuel nor any form of backup power (grid connection or engine generator).

Solar thermal energy storage via exploitation and rational combination of porous ceramic structures and redox oxides chemistry

OpenAIRE

Agrafiotis, Christos; Becker, Andreas; Roeb, Martin; Sattler, Christian

2015-01-01

The current state-of-the-art solar heat storage concept in air-operated Solar Tower Power Plants is to store the solar energy provided during on-sun operation as sensible heat in porous solid materials that operate as recuperators during off-sun operation. This storage concept can be rendered from “purely” sensible to “hybrid” sensible/thermochemical one, via coating the chemically inert porous heat exchange modules with oxides of multivalent metals for which their reduction/oxidation reactio...

Overview of Small and Large-Scale Space Solar Power Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Potter, Seth; Henley, Mark; Howell, Joe; Carrington, Connie; Fikes, John

2006-01-01

An overview of space solar power studies performed at the Boeing Company under contract with NASA will be presented. The major concepts to be presented are: 1. Power Plug in Orbit: this is a spacecraft that collects solar energy and distributes it to users in space using directed radio frequency or optical energy. Our concept uses solar arrays having the same dimensions as ISS arrays, but are assumed to be more efficient. If radiofrequency wavelengths are used, it will necessitate that the receiving satellite be equipped with a rectifying antenna (rectenna). For optical wavelengths, the solar arrays on the receiving satellite will collect the power. 2. Mars Clipper I Power Explorer: this is a solar electric Mars transfer vehicle to support human missions. A near-term precursor could be a high-power radar mapping spacecraft with self-transport capability. Advanced solar electric power systems and electric propulsion technology constitute viable elements for conducting human Mars missions that are roughly comparable in performance to similar missions utilizing alternative high thrust systems, with the one exception being their inability to achieve short Earth-Mars trip times. 3. Alternative Architectures: this task involves investigating alternatives to the traditional solar power satellite (SPS) to supply commercial power from space for use on Earth. Four concepts were studied: two using photovoltaic power generation, and two using solar dynamic power generation, with microwave and laser power transmission alternatives considered for each. All four architectures use geostationary orbit. 4. Cryogenic Propellant Depot in Earth Orbit: this concept uses large solar arrays (producing perhaps 600 kW) to electrolyze water launched from Earth, liquefy the resulting hydrogen and oxygen gases, and store them until needed by spacecraft. 5. Beam-Powered Lunar Polar Rover: a lunar rover powered by a microwave or laser beam can explore permanently shadowed craters near the lunar

Potential Visual Impacts of Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development within Solar Energy Zones on Selected Viewpoints in Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks, and El Camino Real De Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, Robert G. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Abplanalp, Jennifer M. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Cantwell, Brian L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Beckman, Kevin J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2013-06-01

In connection with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Solar PEIS), Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) has conducted an extended visual impact analysis for selected key observation points (KOPs) within three National Park Service (NPS) units located within the 25-mi (40-km) viewshed of four solar energy zones (SEZs) identified in the Solar PEIS. The analysis includes only those NPS units that the Solar PEIS identified as potentially subject to moderate or strong visual contrasts associated with solar development within the SEZs. The NPS units included in the analysis are Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks and El Camino Real De Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail. The analysis showed that certain KOPs in each of these NPS units could potentially be subject to major visual contrast and impacts from solar development within the SEZs, but many of the KOPs would likely be subject to moderate, minor, or negligible contrasts and impacts, generally because they were relatively distant from the relevant SEZ, had views of the SEZ partially blocked by intervening terrain, and/or had very low vertical angles of view toward the SEZ. For all three NPS units, power tower facilities were found to be major contributors to potential visual contrasts, primarily because of the long-distance visibility of intensely bright reflection of light from the receivers on the central towers, but also because of the height and strong vertical line of the tower structures and the potential for night-sky impacts from FAA-mandated hazard navigation lighting.

Cooling Tower Overhaul of Secondary Cooling System in HANARO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Young Chul; Lee, Young Sub; Jung, Hoan Sung; Lim, In Chul [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-07-01

HANARO, an open-tank-in-pool type research reactor of 30 MWth power in Korea, has been operating normally since its initial criticality in February, 1995. For the last about ten years, A cooling tower of a secondary cooling system has been operated normally in HANARO. Last year, the cooling tower has been overhauled for preservative maintenance including fills, eliminators, wood support, water distribution system, motors, driving shafts, gear reducers, basements, blades and etc. This paper describes the results of the overhaul. As results, it is confirmed that the cooling tower maintains a good operability through a filed test. And a cooling capability will be tested when a wet bulb temperature is maintained about 28 .deg. C in summer and the reactor is operated with the full power.

Solar Powered Heat Storage for Injera Baking

OpenAIRE

Tesfay, Asfafaw H; Kahsay, Mulu Bayray; Nydal, Ole Jørgen

2014-01-01

Ethiopia with a population of about 85 million meets 96% of its energy needs with bio-mass, charcoal, wood, animal dung and plant residues. More than 50% of this energy goes entirely on baking Injera. Injera the national food of the country demands 180-220 °C to be well cooked. In this article; Injera baking with solar energy on off-focus system, status of electric powered stove and the potential for solar powered stoves is discussed. The research and development of solar thermal for househol...

The place of solar power: an economic analysis of concentrated and distributed solar power.

Science.gov (United States)

Banoni, Vanessa Arellano; Arnone, Aldo; Fondeur, Maria; Hodge, Annabel; Offner, J Patrick; Phillips, Jordan K

2012-04-23

This paper examines the cost and benefits, both financial and environmental, of two leading forms of solar power generation, grid-tied photovoltaic cells and Dish Stirling Systems, using conventional carbon-based fuel as a benchmark. First we define how these solar technologies will be implemented and why. Then we delineate a model city and its characteristics, which will be used to test the two methods of solar-powered electric distribution. Then we set the constraining assumptions for each technology, which serve as parameters for our calculations. Finally, we calculate the present value of the total cost of conventional energy needed to power our model city and use this as a benchmark when analyzing both solar models' benefits and costs. The preeminent form of distributed electricity generation, grid-tied photovoltaic cells under net-metering, allow individual homeowners a degree of electric self-sufficiency while often turning a profit. However, substantial subsidies are required to make the investment sensible. Meanwhile, large dish Stirling engine installations have a significantly higher potential rate of return, but face a number of pragmatic limitations. This paper concludes that both technologies are a sensible investment for consumers, but given that the dish Stirling consumer receives 6.37 dollars per watt while the home photovoltaic system consumer receives between 0.9 and 1.70 dollars per watt, the former appears to be a superior option. Despite the large investment, this paper deduces that it is far more feasible to get few strong investors to develop a solar farm of this magnitude, than to get 150,000 households to install photovoltaic arrays in their roofs. Potential implications of the solar farm construction include an environmental impact given the size of land require for this endeavour. However, the positive aspects, which include a large CO2 emission reduction aggregated over the lifespan of the farm, outweigh any minor concerns or potential

The place of solar power: an economic analysis of concentrated and distributed solar power

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Banoni Vanessa

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper examines the cost and benefits, both financial and environmental, of two leading forms of solar power generation, grid-tied photovoltaic cells and Dish Stirling Systems, using conventional carbon-based fuel as a benchmark. Methods First we define how these solar technologies will be implemented and why. Then we delineate a model city and its characteristics, which will be used to test the two methods of solar-powered electric distribution. Then we set the constraining assumptions for each technology, which serve as parameters for our calculations. Finally, we calculate the present value of the total cost of conventional energy needed to power our model city and use this as a benchmark when analyzing both solar models’ benefits and costs. Results The preeminent form of distributed electricity generation, grid-tied photovoltaic cells under net-metering, allow individual homeowners a degree of electric self-sufficiency while often turning a profit. However, substantial subsidies are required to make the investment sensible. Meanwhile, large dish Stirling engine installations have a significantly higher potential rate of return, but face a number of pragmatic limitations. Conclusions This paper concludes that both technologies are a sensible investment for consumers, but given that the dish Stirling consumer receives 6.37 dollars per watt while the home photovoltaic system consumer receives between 0.9 and 1.70 dollars per watt, the former appears to be a superior option. Despite the large investment, this paper deduces that it is far more feasible to get few strong investors to develop a solar farm of this magnitude, than to get 150,000 households to install photovoltaic arrays in their roofs. Potential implications of the solar farm construction include an environmental impact given the size of land require for this endeavour. However, the positive aspects, which include a large CO2 emission reduction aggregated

The place of solar power: an economic analysis of concentrated and distributed solar power

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background This paper examines the cost and benefits, both financial and environmental, of two leading forms of solar power generation, grid-tied photovoltaic cells and Dish Stirling Systems, using conventional carbon-based fuel as a benchmark. Methods First we define how these solar technologies will be implemented and why. Then we delineate a model city and its characteristics, which will be used to test the two methods of solar-powered electric distribution. Then we set the constraining assumptions for each technology, which serve as parameters for our calculations. Finally, we calculate the present value of the total cost of conventional energy needed to power our model city and use this as a benchmark when analyzing both solar models’ benefits and costs. Results The preeminent form of distributed electricity generation, grid-tied photovoltaic cells under net-metering, allow individual homeowners a degree of electric self-sufficiency while often turning a profit. However, substantial subsidies are required to make the investment sensible. Meanwhile, large dish Stirling engine installations have a significantly higher potential rate of return, but face a number of pragmatic limitations. Conclusions This paper concludes that both technologies are a sensible investment for consumers, but given that the dish Stirling consumer receives 6.37 dollars per watt while the home photovoltaic system consumer receives between 0.9 and 1.70 dollars per watt, the former appears to be a superior option. Despite the large investment, this paper deduces that it is far more feasible to get few strong investors to develop a solar farm of this magnitude, than to get 150,000 households to install photovoltaic arrays in their roofs. Potential implications of the solar farm construction include an environmental impact given the size of land require for this endeavour. However, the positive aspects, which include a large CO2 emission reduction aggregated over the lifespan of the farm

Solar thermal power plants simulation using the TRNSYS software

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popel, O.S.; Frid, S.E.; Shpilrain, E.E. [Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences (IVTAN), Moscow (Russian Federation)

1999-03-01

The paper describes activity directed on the TRNSYS software application for mathematical simulation of solar thermal power plants. First stage of developments has been devoted to simulation and thermodynamic analysis of the Hybrid Solar-Fuel Thermal Power Plants (HSFTPP) with gas turbine installations. Three schemes of HSFTPP, namely: Gas Turbine Regenerative Cycle, Brayton Cycle with Steam Injection and Combined Brayton-Rankine Cycle,- have been assembled and tested under the TRNSYS. For this purpose 18 new models of the schemes components (gas and steam turbines, compressor, heat-exchangers, steam generator, solar receiver, condenser, controllers, etc) have been elaborated and incorporated into the TRNSYS library of 'standard' components. The authors do expect that this initiative and received results will stimulate experts involved in the mathematical simulation of solar thermal power plants to join the described activity to contribute to acceleration of development and expansion of 'Solar Thermal Power Plants' branch of the TRNSYS. The proposed approach could provide an appropriate basis for standardization of analysis, models and assumptions for well-founded comparison of different schemes of advanced solar power plants. (authors)

Application of Solar Chimney Concept to Solve Potential Safety Issues of Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khasawneh, Khalid; PARK, Youn Won

2014-01-01

In this paper two main events and their causes have been investigated and a potential alternative supporting system will be provided. The first event to be addressed is the Station Blackout (SBO) caused by the inherent unreliability of the Emergency Diesel Generators (EDGs) and Alternative AC (AAC) power sources. Different parameters affect The EDG unreliability; for instance, mechanical, operational, maintenance and surveillance. Those parameters will be analyzed and linked to plant safety and Core Damage Frequency (CDF). Also the AACs, the SBO diesel generators, will be studied and their operational requirements similarity with the EDGs will be discussed. The second event to be addressed is the Loss of Ultimate Heat Sink (LUHS) caused by the degradation of heat exchange effectiveness, that is, the poor heat transfer to the Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS). Different causes to such case were observed; intake lines blockages due to ice and foreign biological matters formation and oil spill near the heat sink causing the oil leakage to the heat exchangers tubes. The later cause, oil spill, has been given a special attention here due its potential effects for different nuclear power plants (NPPs) around the world; for example, Finland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For the Finnish case, the Finnish nuclear regulator (STUK) took already countermeasures for such scenario by introducing alternative heat sink, cooling towers, for the primary used heat sink, sea water, for one of its nuclear power plants. The abundance of the solar irradiation in the UAE region provides a perfect condition for the implementation of solar power applications. Utilizing this unique characteristic of that region may provide promising alternative and diverse options for solving potential safety related issues of their NPPs. The Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) could be employed to serve as a supporting system to provide emergency power, in the case of SBO, and emergency cooling, in the case of

Application of Solar Chimney Concept to Solve Potential Safety Issues of Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khasawneh, Khalid; PARK, Youn Won [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

In this paper two main events and their causes have been investigated and a potential alternative supporting system will be provided. The first event to be addressed is the Station Blackout (SBO) caused by the inherent unreliability of the Emergency Diesel Generators (EDGs) and Alternative AC (AAC) power sources. Different parameters affect The EDG unreliability; for instance, mechanical, operational, maintenance and surveillance. Those parameters will be analyzed and linked to plant safety and Core Damage Frequency (CDF). Also the AACs, the SBO diesel generators, will be studied and their operational requirements similarity with the EDGs will be discussed. The second event to be addressed is the Loss of Ultimate Heat Sink (LUHS) caused by the degradation of heat exchange effectiveness, that is, the poor heat transfer to the Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS). Different causes to such case were observed; intake lines blockages due to ice and foreign biological matters formation and oil spill near the heat sink causing the oil leakage to the heat exchangers tubes. The later cause, oil spill, has been given a special attention here due its potential effects for different nuclear power plants (NPPs) around the world; for example, Finland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For the Finnish case, the Finnish nuclear regulator (STUK) took already countermeasures for such scenario by introducing alternative heat sink, cooling towers, for the primary used heat sink, sea water, for one of its nuclear power plants. The abundance of the solar irradiation in the UAE region provides a perfect condition for the implementation of solar power applications. Utilizing this unique characteristic of that region may provide promising alternative and diverse options for solving potential safety related issues of their NPPs. The Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) could be employed to serve as a supporting system to provide emergency power, in the case of SBO, and emergency cooling, in the case of

Implications of longitude and latitude on the size of solar-powered UAV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajendran, Parvathy; Smith, Howard

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We studied solar irradiance and daylight implication on solar-powered UAV design. • We explored for perpetual UAV flight for 12 cities around the world. • All year round solar-powered UAV operation possible for cities near equatorial line. • Cities in latitudes of ±35° are the optimal for solar-powered UAV. • Longitudinal coordinates and elevation have a minor effect on UAV design. - Abstract: The implication of solar irradiance and daylight duration on the design of a small solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is capable of operating perpetually in various cities around the world was investigated. Solar data in 2013 on 12 cities distributed around the world was collected. The effects of the available solar irradiance and daylight of the city on the maximum take-off weight and wing span of a small solar-powered UAV were studied. The analysis indicates that daylight duration is as important as the available solar irradiance to the performance of the solar-powered UAV. Longitudinal coordinates and elevation have a minor effect on the estimation of daylight duration. Areas considerably high in solar irradiance and daylight duration are more conducive to the effective performance of solar-powered UAVs than other areas. Therefore, cities closer to the equator have an advantage in utilizing solar-powered UAVs; where smaller and lighter solar-powered UAV can be designed

Study of solar array switching power management technology for space power system

Science.gov (United States)

Cassinelli, J. E.

1982-01-01

This report documents work performed on the Solar Array Switching Power Management Study. Mission characteristics for three missions were defined to the depth necessary to determine their power management requirements. Solar array switching concepts which could satisfy the mission requirements were identified. The switching concepts were compared with a conventional buck regulator system for cost, weight and volume, reliability, efficiency and thermal control. Solar array switching provided significant advantages in all areas of comparison for the reviewed missions.

A Low-Power and Low-Voltage Power Management Strategy for On-Chip Micro Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Cevik

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Fundamental characteristics of on-chip micro solar cell (MSC structures were investigated in this study. Several MSC structures using different layers in three different CMOS processes were designed and fabricated. Effects of PN junction structure and process technology on solar cell performance were measured. Parameters for low-power and low-voltage implementation of power management strategy and boost converter based circuits utilizing fractional voltage maximum power point tracking (FVMPPT algorithm were determined. The FVMPPT algorithm works based on the fraction between the maximum power point operation voltage and the open circuit voltage of the solar cell structure. This ratio is typically between 0.72 and 0.78 for commercially available poly crystalline silicon solar cells that produce several watts of power under typical daylight illumination. Measurements showed that the fractional voltage ratio is much higher and fairly constant between 0.82 and 0.85 for on-chip mono crystalline silicon micro solar cell structures that produce micro watts of power. Mono crystalline silicon solar cell structures were observed to result in better power fill factor (PFF that is higher than 74% indicating a higher energy harvesting efficiency.

Modern prospects of development of branch of solar power

Science.gov (United States)

Luchkina, Veronika

2017-10-01

Advantages of solar energy for modern companies are evident already. Article describes mechanism of the solar electricity generation. Process of production of solar modules with appliance of the modern technologies of sun energy production. The branch of solar energy “green energy” become advanced in Russia and has a stable demand. Classification of investments on the different stages of construction projects of solar power plants and calculation of their economic efficiency. Studying of introduction of these technologies allows to estimate the modern prospects of development of branch of solar power.

Improvement of coal focus and cooling towers of COFRENTES NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, I.; Bogh, P.

1998-01-01

Cofrentes Nuclear Power Plant is performing a improving program of its cooling towers based on the filling revamping and cooling water circuit improvement. Furthermore, and as consequence of the acquired experience on cooling towers due to the mentioned program, Cofrentes NPP has decided to follow up with this project from a different point of view based on the thermal-hydraulic optimization of the cooling process inside the towers. This program, which is going to be carried out by Cofrentes NPP, Iberinco and Energy Planning and Power Generation (EPPG) provides an improvement on the thermal profile and of the draught inside the cooling towers by improving the water distribution in the towers active area. In order to perform such a program is needed to fulfill a test program to assure a guaranteed performance gain. In this way, Iberinco is developing a test procedure which improves the results which are obtained with the present standards used commonly by the industry. As a consequence of this program, Cofrentes is expecting to obtain a gain of 5 to 8 MWe with a revenue period of 4 to 5 months, results validated in another foreigner Plant which have developed a similar program. (Author)

Fire behaviour of cooling tower packing; Brandverhalten von Kuehlturmeinbauten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattausch, Tim [DMT GmbH und Co. KG, Dortmund (Germany). Fachstelle fuer Brandschutz

2013-10-01

The rapid burning down of the cooling tower of the shutdown power plant in Schwandorf revealed the potential of a total loss of a cooling tower in case of fire. VGB ordered a research project in order to obtain more knowledge about the fire risk of cooling tower packing currently applied. Depending on kind and age of the plastics used, the results of these tests manifest a big variation of the fire behaviour. For the applications of plastics, it is essential to determine and to adhere to organisational fire protection measures. (orig.)

Surge currents and voltages at the low voltage power mains during lightning strike to a GSM tower

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markowska, Renata [Bialystok Technical University (Poland)], E-mail: remark@pb.edu.pl

2007-07-01

The paper presents the results of numerical calculations of lightning surge currents and voltages in the low voltage power mains system connected to a free standing GSM base station. Direct lightning strike to GSM tower was studied. The analysis concerned the current that flows to the transformer station through AC power mains, the potential difference between the grounding systems of the GSM and the transformer stations and the voltage differences between phase and PE conductors of the power mains underground cable at both the GSM and the transformer sides. The calculations were performed using a numerical program based on the electromagnetic field theory and the method of moments. (author)

Building concept of cooling towers for WWER-1000 nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucha, V.; David, M.

1984-01-01

A project is described of cooling towers with natural draught for the Temelin nuclear power plant. The concept proceeds from the classical design of the so-called Itterson type, i.e., the outer cladding of the draught stack is made of a monolithic reinforced concrete unit in the shape of a hyperboloid of revolution supported by a system of oblique supports mounted along the edge of the cooled water tank. The procedure is explained of the thermal calculation for the given operating conditions. The basic alternatives are considered of the choice of material and design of the cooling system. Questions are discussed relating to the design of the eliminator, the windwart wall and the shape of the shell of the draught stack and its loading by wind and seismic effects. (E.S.)

Utilizing Solar Power Technologies for On-Orbit Propellant Production

Science.gov (United States)

Fikes, John C.; Howell, Joe T.; Henley, Mark W.

2006-01-01

The cost of access to space beyond low Earth orbit may be reduced if vehicles can refuel in orbit. The cost of access to low Earth orbit may also be reduced by launching oxygen and hydrogen propellants in the form of water. To achieve this reduction in costs of access to low Earth orbit and beyond, a propellant depot is considered that electrolyzes water in orbit, then condenses and stores cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen. Power requirements for such a depot require Solar Power Satellite technologies. A propellant depot utilizing solar power technologies is discussed in this paper. The depot will be deployed in a 400 km circular equatorial orbit. It receives tanks of water launched into a lower orbit from Earth, converts the water to liquid hydrogen and oxygen, and stores up to 500 metric tons of cryogenic propellants. This requires a power system that is comparable to a large Solar Power Satellite capable of several 100 kW of energy. Power is supplied by a pair of solar arrays mounted perpendicular to the orbital plane, which rotates once per orbit to track the Sun. The majority of the power is used to run the electrolysis system. Thermal control is maintained by body-mounted radiators; these also provide some shielding against orbital debris. The propellant stored in the depot can support transportation from low Earth orbit to geostationary Earth orbit, the Moon, LaGrange points, Mars, etc. Emphasis is placed on the Water-Ice to Cryogen propellant production facility. A very high power system is required for cracking (electrolyzing) the water and condensing and refrigerating the resulting oxygen and hydrogen. For a propellant production rate of 500 metric tons (1,100,000 pounds) per year, an average electrical power supply of 100 s of kW is required. To make the most efficient use of space solar power, electrolysis is performed only during the portion of the orbit that the Depot is in sunlight, so roughly twice this power level is needed for operations in sunlight

Numerical research of a super-large cooling tower subjected to accidental loads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yi; Lin, Feng [Department of Building Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Gu, Xianglin, E-mail: gxl@tongji.edu.cn [Department of Building Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Lu, Xiaoqin [Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute, Guangzhou 510660 (China)

2014-04-01

With the continued development of nuclear power plants, more and more super-large cooling towers are to be built in China and around the world. For the safe operation of nuclear power plants, research work has been done on the causes of collapse of cooling towers, collapse modes and the secondary disasters caused by the collapse of cooling towers. However, the collapse modes and the ground vibration induced by the collapse of cooling towers subjected to the accidental loads have not been fully understood. This paper has been focused on the modes and mechanisms behavior of the collapse of cooling towers subjected to accidental loads. Meanwhile, prediction of the ground vibration due to the collapse of the cooling towers has also been completed in a parallel project. Using dynamic finite element program LS-DYNA, a 3D finite element model for a super-large cooling tower was developed and the nonlinear material models were incorporated. In this paper, four types of accidental loads were considered to trigger the collapse or local failure of the tower, including vehicle collision, airplane impact, local explosion and missile attack. It was found that vehicle collision, missile attack and small TNT equivalent explosives (2 kg, 20 kg, 200 kg) might result in local failure of the cooling tower, however, the tower can still keep stable. On the other hand, large TNT equivalent explosives (2000 kg, 4500 kg) could cause severe damages in the inclined columns of the cooling tower, and lead to progressive collapse of the entire cooling tower. The two kinds of TNT equivalent explosives caused the same collapse mode while the collapsing duration was different. The airplane impacted at the throat of the cooling tower caused the local failure of shell structure of the tower, and then the progressive collapse of the cooling tower happened due to the gravitational action. The resulting collapse mode was different from that triggered by the local explosion.

Numerical research of a super-large cooling tower subjected to accidental loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yi; Lin, Feng; Gu, Xianglin; Lu, Xiaoqin

2014-01-01

With the continued development of nuclear power plants, more and more super-large cooling towers are to be built in China and around the world. For the safe operation of nuclear power plants, research work has been done on the causes of collapse of cooling towers, collapse modes and the secondary disasters caused by the collapse of cooling towers. However, the collapse modes and the ground vibration induced by the collapse of cooling towers subjected to the accidental loads have not been fully understood. This paper has been focused on the modes and mechanisms behavior of the collapse of cooling towers subjected to accidental loads. Meanwhile, prediction of the ground vibration due to the collapse of the cooling towers has also been completed in a parallel project. Using dynamic finite element program LS-DYNA, a 3D finite element model for a super-large cooling tower was developed and the nonlinear material models were incorporated. In this paper, four types of accidental loads were considered to trigger the collapse or local failure of the tower, including vehicle collision, airplane impact, local explosion and missile attack. It was found that vehicle collision, missile attack and small TNT equivalent explosives (2 kg, 20 kg, 200 kg) might result in local failure of the cooling tower, however, the tower can still keep stable. On the other hand, large TNT equivalent explosives (2000 kg, 4500 kg) could cause severe damages in the inclined columns of the cooling tower, and lead to progressive collapse of the entire cooling tower. The two kinds of TNT equivalent explosives caused the same collapse mode while the collapsing duration was different. The airplane impacted at the throat of the cooling tower caused the local failure of shell structure of the tower, and then the progressive collapse of the cooling tower happened due to the gravitational action. The resulting collapse mode was different from that triggered by the local explosion

Lightweight Solar Power for Small Satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Nabors, Sammy A.

2015-01-01

The innovation targets small satellites or CubeSats for which conventional deployable arrays are not feasible due to their size, weight and complexity. This novel solar cell array includes a thin and flexible photovoltaic cell applied to an inflatable structure to create a high surface area array for collecting solar energy in a lightweight, simple and deployable structure. The inflatable array, with its high functional surface area, eliminates the need and the mechanisms required to point the system toward the sun. The power density achievable in these small arrays is similar to that of conventional high-power deployable/pointable arrays used on large satellites or space vehicles. Although inflatable solar arrays have been previously considered by others, the arrays involved the use of traditional rigid solar cells. Researchers are currently working with thin film photovoltaics from various suppliers so that the NASA innovation is not limited to any particular solar cell technology. NASA has built prototypes and tested functionality before and after inflation. As shown in the current-voltage currents below, deployment does not damage the cell performance.

Solar dynamic power module design

Science.gov (United States)

Secunde, Richard R.; Labus, Thomas L.; Lovely, Ronald G.

1989-01-01

Studies have shown that the use of solar dynamic (SD) power for the growth areas of the Space Station Freedom program will result in life cycle cost savings when compared to power supplied by photovoltaic sources. In the SD power module, a concentrator collects and focuses solar energy into a heat receiver which has integral thermal energy storage. A Power Conversion Unit (PCU) based on the closed Brayton cycle removes thermal energy from the receiver and converts that energy to electrical energy. Since the closed Brayton cycle is a single phase gas cycle, the conversion hardware (heat exchangers, turbine, compressor, etc.) can be designed for operation in low earth orbit, and tested with confidence in test facilities on earth before launch into space. The concentrator subassemblies will be aligned and the receiver/PCU/radiator combination completely assembled and charged with gas and cooling liquid on earth before launch to, and assembly on, orbit.

Hybrid solar and hydro-power for Austria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weyss, N

1978-02-01

It is proposed that integrating solar powerplants into the Austrian electricity networks could cost less than conventional thermal plants, and provide a high degree of independence to the country. The following aspects are discussed; the seasonal distribution of sunshine, solar power plants, land requirements, economic feasibility, solar/fossil hybrid operation, integration strategy, Malta-B as a calculating unit, solar-hydraulic baseload throughout the year, concrete requirements, solar-hydraulic possibilities within the next 50 years, cement for solar plants, and energy accounting. (MHR)

Solar power satellites: Commercialization and socio-economic impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Storelli, V.

1993-01-01

Commercialization prospects for solar power satellites are assessed with reference to their possible impacts on the viability of the fossil fuel market and on international energy and environmental policies. The technical aspects which are examined include: solar panel sizing in relation to solar cell efficiency; the development of point-contact solar cell technology; the feasibility of the use of lunar materials; microwave transmission from the moon; optimum satellite positioning; the use of robots for in-space satellite assembly; satellite transmitted power for hydrogen production and storage; marketable product estimated development time

Deployed Base Solar Power (BRIEFING SLIDES)

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

various time intervals. Data Acquisitions and Components:  FieldPoint  Current, Voltage, and Power Transducers  POA Pyranometers  Solar...Tracking Pyranometer  Weather Station  kWh Meter Parameters being monitored:  Solar Module Temperatures  Ambient Temperature  Wind Speed  Wind

Acidity of vapor plume from cooling tower mixed with flue gases emitted from coal-fired power plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Hlawiczka, Stanislaw; Korszun, Katarzyna; Fudala, Janina

2016-06-01

Acidity of products resulting from the reaction of flue gas components emitted from a coal-fired power plant with water contained in a vapor plume from a wet cooling tower was analyzed in a close vicinity of a power plant (710 m from the stack and 315 m from the cooling tower). Samples of this mixture were collected using a precipitation funnel where components of the mixed plumes were discharged from the atmosphere with the rainfall. To identify situations when the precipitation occurred at the same time as the wind directed the mixed vapor and flue gas plumes above the precipitation funnel, an ultrasound anemometer designed for 3D measurements of the wind field located near the funnel was used. Precipitation samples of extremely high acidity were identified - about 5% of samples collected during 12 months showed the acidity below pH=3 and the lowest recorded pH was 1.4. During the measurement period the value of pH characterizing the background acidity of the precipitation was about 6. The main outcome of this study was to demonstrate a very high, and so far completely underestimated, potential of occurrence of episodes of extremely acid depositions in the immediate vicinity of a coal-fired power plant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solar Pumped Solid State Lasers for Space Solar Power: Experimental Path

Science.gov (United States)

Fork, Richard L.; Carrington, Connie K.; Walker, Wesley W.; Cole, Spencer T.; Green, Jason J. A.; Laycock, Rustin L.

2003-01-01

We outline an experimentally based strategy designed to lead to solar pumped solid state laser oscillators useful for space solar power. Our method involves solar pumping a novel solid state gain element specifically designed to provide efficient conversion of sunlight in space to coherent laser light. Kilowatt and higher average power is sought from each gain element. Multiple such modular gain elements can be used to accumulate total average power of interest for power beaming in space, e.g., 100 kilowatts and more. Where desirable the high average power can also be produced as a train of pulses having high peak power (e.g., greater than 10(exp 10 watts). The modular nature of the basic gain element supports an experimental strategy in which the core technology can be validated by experiments on a single gain element. We propose to do this experimental validation both in terrestrial locations and also on a smaller scale in space. We describe a terrestrial experiment that includes diagnostics and the option of locating the laser beam path in vacuum environment. We describe a space based experiment designed to be compatible with the Japanese Experimental Module (JEM) on the International Space Station (ISS). We anticipate the gain elements will be based on low temperature (approx. 100 degrees Kelvin) operation of high thermal conductivity (k approx. 100 W/cm-K) diamond and sapphire (k approx. 4 W/cm-K). The basic gain element will be formed by sequences of thin alternating layers of diamond and Ti:sapphire with special attention given to the material interfaces. We anticipate this strategy will lead to a particularly simple, robust, and easily maintained low mass modelocked multi-element laser oscillator useful for space solar power.

Natural-draught cooling towers made of reinforced concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraetzig, W.B.; Peters, H.L.; Zerna, W.

1978-01-01

Large power plant units and dry cooling tower technology require larger dimensions for natural-draught cooling towers. The main curvation radii in latitudinal and meridian direction are thus increased, which results in a lower three-dimensional support strength. This development is an incentive for constant re-consideration of calculation methods, safety philosophy, and dimensioning criteria. In this context, wind effects have been re-formulated and given a scientific foundation. Constructional measures to improve the static and dynamic behaviour of the structure have been presented and critically assessed. A cost analysis, finally, gave the most rational applications of the new shell construction with reinforcing elements. A cooling tower now under construction gave a realistic example. Fundamental aspects concerning the foundations of cooling tower shells and two special types of foundation are further points to clarify the subject. (orig./HP) [de

Comparison of the Energy Conversion Efficiency of a Solar Chimney and a Solar PV-Powered Fan for Ventilation Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lubomír Klimeš

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A study into the performance of a solar chimney and a solar photovoltaic (PV-powered fan for ventilation applications was carried out using numerical simulations. The performance of the solar chimney was compared with that of a direct current (DC fan powered by a solar PV panel. The comparison was carried out using the same area of the irradiated surface—the area of the solar absorber plate in the case of the solar chimney and the area of the solar panel in the case of the photovoltaic-powered fan. The two studied cases were compared under various solar radiation intensities of incident solar radiation. The results indicate that the PV-powered fans significantly outperform solar chimneys in terms of converting solar energy into the kinetic energy of air motion. Moreover, ventilation with PV-powered fans offers more flexibility in the arrangement of the ventilation system and also better control of the air flow rates in the case of battery storage.

The influence and analysis of natural crosswind on cooling characteristics of the high level water collecting natural draft wet cooling tower

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Libin; Ren, Jianxing

2018-01-01

Large capacity and super large capacity thermal power is becoming the main force of energy and power industry in our country. The performance of cooling tower is related to the water temperature of circulating water, which has an important influence on the efficiency of power plant. The natural draft counter flow wet cooling tower is the most widely used cooling tower type at present, and the high cooling tower is a new cooling tower based on the natural ventilation counter flow wet cooling tower. In this paper, for high cooling tower, the application background of high cooling tower is briefly explained, and then the structure principle of conventional cooling tower and high cooling tower are introduced, and the difference between them is simply compared. Then, the influence of crosswind on cooling performance of high cooling tower under different wind speeds is introduced in detail. Through analysis and research, wind speed, wind cooling had little impact on the performance of high cooling tower; wind velocity, wind will destroy the tower inside and outside air flow, reducing the cooling performance of high cooling tower; Wind speed, high cooling performance of cooling tower has increased, but still lower than the wind speed.

An automated system for monitoring bird collisions with power lines and tower guys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlton, R.G. [Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)

2005-07-01

An automated system for monitoring collisions between birds and power lines was presented. The bird strike indicator (BSI) was developed to gather bird collision information that is difficult to obtain through direct human observation as well as to aid in the calculation of inherent biases which must be considered when attempting to determine total mortality from data obtained in on-the-ground dead bird searches. The BSI can be placed directly on power lines, static wires, or tower guy cables with a standard hot stick power line clamp. The sensor consists of a state-of-the-art accelerometers, power supplies, signal processors, and data acquisition systems. The BSI also includes a communication system for transmitting data to a ground-based unit in which raw data can be stored. A complete BSI consists of 30 sensors with signal processing and data logging capabilities, and a base station. The sensors integrate several components, including wireless radio, data storage, and a microcontroller with an A/D converter. Full-scale field deployment has shown that the BSI is both robust and sensitive to vibrations in the guy wires, as the system has been tuned to eliminate vibrations induced by wind. 3 figs.

Solar Power and Solar Fuels Synthesis Report. Technology, market and research activities 2006-2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ridell, Bengt; Nilsson, Ronny; Rehnlund, Bjoern [Grontmij, Stockholm (Sweden); Kasemo, Bengt [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden)

2012-11-01

The objectives of the synthesis is to survey the situation and give an accumulated and concentrated knowledge about status, needs and opportunities for Swedish research and Swedish industry within the area of solar power and solar fuels, to be used for prioritisation of further efforts. The synthesis shall identify strengths and weaknesses in areas fundamental for development of solar power and solar fuels, focused on the development in Sweden, but in an international context. The synthesis shall also cover proposals for future Swedish research efforts and organisation of future Swedish research programs.

Cooling tower water circuits with raceways

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicollet, G.

1981-02-01

Two physical models built at the National Hydraulics Laboratory in Chatou have led to the determination of the design of the works. This new design economizes 4 to 5 MW on pumping power for each cooling tower [fr

Space Solar Power Program. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arif, Humayun; Barbosa, Hugo; Bardet, Christophe; Baroud, Michel; Behar, Alberto; Berrier, Keith; Berthe, Phillipe; Bertrand, Reinhold; Bibyk, Irene; Bisson, Joel; Bloch, Lawrence; Bobadilla, Gabriel; Bourque, Denis; Bush, Lawrence; Carandang, Romeo; Chiku, Takemi; Crosby, Norma; De Seixas, Manuel; De Vries, Joha; Doll, Susan; Dufour, Francois; Eckart, Peter; Fahey, Michael; Fenot, Frederic; Foeckersperger, Stefan; Fontaine, Jean-Emmanuel; Fowler, Robert; Frey, Harald; Fujio, Hironobu; Gasa, Jaume Munich; Gleave, Janet; Godoe, Jostein; Green, Iain; Haeberli, Roman; Hanada, Toshiya; Harris, Peter; Hucteau, Mario; Jacobs, Didier Fernand; Johnson, Richard; Kanno, Yoshitsugu; Koenig, Eva Maria; Kojima, Kazuo; Kondepudi, Phani; Kottbauer, Christian; Kulper, Doede; Kulagin, Konstantin; Kumara, Pekka; Kurz, Rainer; Laaksonen, Jyrki; Lang, Andrew Neill; Lathan, Corinna; Le Fur, Thierry; Lewis, David; Louis, Alain; Mori, Takeshi; Morlanes, Juan; Murbach, Marcus; Nagatomo, Hideo; O' brien, Ivan; Paines, Justin; Palaszewski, Bryan; Palmnaes, Ulf; Paraschivolu, Marius; Pathare, Asmin; Perov, Egor; Persson, Jan; Pessoa-Lopes, Isabel; Pinto, Michel; Porro, Irene; Reichert, Michael; Ritt-Fischer, Monika; Roberts, Margaret; Robertson II, Lawrence; Rogers, Keith; Sasaki, Tetsuo; Scire, Francesca; Shibatou, Katsuya; Shirai, Tatsuya; Shiraishi, Atsushi; Soucaille, Jean-Francois; Spivack, Nova; St. Pierre, Dany; Suleman, Afzal; Sullivan, Thomas; Theelen, Bas Johan; Thonstad, Hallvard; Tsuji, Masatoshi; Uchiumi, Masaharu; Vidqvist, Jouni; Warrell, David; Watanabe, Takafumi; Willis, Richard; Wolf, Frank; Yamakawa, Hiroshi; Zhao, Hong

1992-08-01

Information pertaining to the Space Solar Power Program is presented on energy analysis; markets; overall development plan; organizational plan; environmental and safety issues; power systems; space transportation; space manufacturing, construction, operations; design examples; and finance.

Field test of thermoelectric generator using parabolic trough solar concentrator for power generation

Science.gov (United States)

Viña, Rommel R.; Alagao, Feliciano B.

2018-03-01

A 2.4587 square meter effective area cylindrical parabolic solar concentrator was fabricated. The trough concentrator is a 4-ft by 8-ft metal sheet with solar mirror film adhered on it and it is laid on a frame with steel tubes bent in a shape of a parabola. On the focal region of the parabolic trough is the 1.22-m by 0.10-m absorber plate made of copper and coated flat black. This plate served as high temperature reservoir of the eight equally spaced TEC1-12710T125 thermoelectric modules. On the cold side of the modules is a 2.5-in. by 1-in. rectangular aluminum tube with coolant flowing inside. The coolant loop included a direct contact cooling tower which maintained the module cold side assembly inlet temperature of about 28°C. Collector temperature was also kept below the 125°C module maximum operating temperature by controlling the effective area. This was accomplished by adjusting the reflector covering. Using a dummy load and with 8 modules in series, tests results indicated current readings up to 179.4 mA with a voltage of 10.6 VDC and 27% of reflector area or voltage reading up to 12.7 VDC with a current of 165 mA. A steady voltage of 12 VDC was achieved with the use of a voltage regulator. A voltage above 12 VDC will be required to charge a storage battery. Overall results showed the potential of thermoelectric generator (TEG) in combination with solar energy in power generation.

Power Management Strategy by Enhancing the Mission Profile Configuration of Solar-Powered Aircraft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvathy Rajendran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Solar energy offers solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV the possibility of unlimited endurance. Some researchers have developed techniques to achieve perpetual flight by maximizing the power from the sun and by flying in accordance with its azimuth angles. However, flying in a path that follows the sun consumes more energy to sustain level flight. This study optimizes the overall power ratio by adopting the mission profile configuration of optimal solar energy exploitation. Extensive simulation is conducted to optimize and restructure the mission profile phases of UAV and to determine the optimal phase definition of the start, ascent, and descent periods, thereby maximizing the energy from the sun. In addition, a vertical cylindrical flight trajectory instead of maximizing the solar inclination angle has been adopted. This approach improves the net power ratio by 30.84% compared with other techniques. As a result, the battery weight may be massively reduced by 75.23%. In conclusion, the proposed mission profile configuration with the optimal power ratio of the trajectory of the path planning effectively prolongs UAV operation.

Candidate solar cell materials for photovoltaic conversion in a solar power satellite /SPS/

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, P. E.; Almgren, D. W.

1978-01-01

In recognition of the obstacles to solar-generated baseload power on earth, proposals have been made to locate solar power satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO), where solar energy would be available 24 hours a day during most of the time of the year. In an SPS, the electricity produced by solar energy conversion will be fed to microwave generators forming part of a planar phase-array transmitting antenna. The antenna is designed to precisely direct a microwave beam of very low intensity to one or more receiving antennas at desired locations on earth. At the receiving antenna, the microwave energy will be safely and efficiently reconverted to electricity and then be transmitted to consumers. An SPS system will include a number of satellites in GEO. Attention is given to the photovoltaic option for solar energy conversion in GEO, solar cell requirements, the availability of materials, the implication of large production volumes, requirements for high-volume manufacture of solar cell arrays, and the effects of concentration ratio on solar cell array area.

Potential weather modification caused by waste heat release from large dry cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J.

1979-01-01

A numerical model of a cooling tower plume is employed to study the possible atmospheric effects of thermal plumes from natural draft dry cooling towers. Calculations are performed for both single and multiple towers, each of which can dissipate the waste heat from a nominal 1000 MWe power generating unit, and the results are compared with those for wet cooling towers associated with plants of the same generating capacity. Dry cooling tower plumes are found to have a higher potential for inducing convective clouds than wet cooling tower plumes, under most summertime meteorological conditions. This is due to the fact that both the sensible heat and momentum fluxes from a dry tower in summer are approximately one order of magnitude larger than those from a wet cooling tower

Thermal energy storage for CSP (Concentrating Solar Power)

Science.gov (United States)

Py, Xavier; Sadiki, Najim; Olives, Régis; Goetz, Vincent; Falcoz, Quentin

2017-07-01

The major advantage of concentrating solar power before photovoltaic is the possibility to store thermal energy at large scale allowing dispatchability. Then, only CSP solar power plants including thermal storage can be operated 24 h/day using exclusively the solar resource. Nevertheless, due to a too low availability in mined nitrate salts, the actual mature technology of the two tanks molten salts cannot be applied to achieve the expected international share in the power production for 2050. Then alternative storage materials are under studies such as natural rocks and recycled ceramics made from industrial wastes. The present paper is a review of those alternative approaches.

Heat engine development for solar thermal power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, H. Q.; Jaffe, L. D.

The parabolic dish solar collector systems for converting sunlight to electrical power through a heat engine will, require a small heat engine of high performance long lifetime to be competitive with conventional power systems. The most promising engine candidates are Stirling, high temperature Brayton, and combined cycle. Engines available in the current market today do not meet these requirements. The development of Stirling and high temperature Brayton for automotive applications was studied which utilizes much of the technology developed in this automotive program for solar power engines. The technical status of the engine candidates is reviewed and the components that may additional development to meet solar thermal system requirements are identified.

Thermal energy storage for CSP (Concentrating Solar Power

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Py Xavier

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The major advantage of concentrating solar power before photovoltaic is the possibility to store thermal energy at large scale allowing dispatchability. Then, only CSP solar power plants including thermal storage can be operated 24 h/day using exclusively the solar resource. Nevertheless, due to a too low availability in mined nitrate salts, the actual mature technology of the two tanks molten salts cannot be applied to achieve the expected international share in the power production for 2050. Then alternative storage materials are under studies such as natural rocks and recycled ceramics made from industrial wastes. The present paper is a review of those alternative approaches.

A performance analysis of solar chimney thermal power systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al-Dabbas Awwad Mohammed

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the solar chimney performance theoretically (techno-economic. A mathematical model was developed to estimate the following parameter: Power output, Pressure drop across the turbine, the max chimney height, Airflow temperature, and the overall efficiency of solar chimney. The mathematical model was validated with experimental data from the prototype in Manzanares power. It can be concluded that the differential pressure of collector-chimney transition section in the system, is increase with the increase of solar radiation intensity. The specific system costs are between 2000 Eur/kW and 5000 Eur/kW depending on the system size, system concept and storage size. Hence, a 50 MWe solar thermal power plant will cost 100-250 Eur million. At very good sites, today’s solar thermal power plants can generate electricity in the range of 0.15 Eur/kWh, and series production could soon bring down these costs below 0.10 Eur /kWh.

Concentrating solar power: a sustainable and renewable way to get energy from solar light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montecchi, Marco

2015-01-01

Solar light irradiating the Earth is a great sustainable and renewable power source. In concentrating solar power plants, mirrors are used to redirect the solar light toward a small area where a receiver captures and converts it into thermal-energy which can be stored. ENEA has been developing the parabolic-trough Italian technology, as well as several facilities for the component characterization. The paper reports on some of those which are purely optical instruments [it

Mini Solar and Sea Current Power Generation System

Science.gov (United States)

Almenhali, Abdulrahman; Alshamsi, Hatem; Aljunaibi, Yaser; Almussabi, Dheyab; Alshehhi, Ahmed; Hilal, Hassan Bu

2017-07-01

The power demand in United Arab Emirates is increased so that there is a consistent power cut in our region. This is because of high power consumption by factories and also due to less availability of conventional energy resources. Electricity is most needed facility for the human being. All the conventional energy resources are depleting day by day. So we have to shift from conventional to non-conventional energy resources. In this the combination of two energy resources is takes place i.e. wind and solar energy. This process reviles the sustainable energy resources without damaging the nature. We can give uninterrupted power by using hybrid energy system. Basically this system involves the integration of two energy system that will give continuous power. Solar panels are used for converting solar energy and wind turbines are used for converting wind energy into electricity. This electrical power can utilize for various purpose. Generation of electricity will be takes place at affordable cost. This paper deals with the generation of electricity by using two sources combine which leads to generate electricity with affordable cost without damaging the nature balance. The purpose of this project was to design a portable and low cost power system that combines both sea current electric turbine and solar electric technologies. This system will be designed in efforts to develop a power solution for remote locations or use it as another source of green power.

A Novel Extension Decision-Making Method for Selecting Solar Power Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-Hui Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the complex parameters of a solar power system, the designer not only must think about the load demand but also needs to consider the price, weight, and annual power generating capacity (APGC and maximum power of the solar system. It is an important task to find the optimal solar power system with many parameters. Therefore, this paper presents a novel decision-making method based on the extension theory; we call it extension decision-making method (EDMM. Using the EDMM can make it quick to select the optimal solar power system. The paper proposed this method not only to provide a useful estimated tool for the solar system engineers but also to supply the important reference with the installation of solar systems to the consumer.

Solar Pilot Plant, Phase I. Preliminary design report. Volume II, Book 2. Central receiver optical model users manual. CDRL item 2. [HELIAKI code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1977-05-01

HELIAKI is a FORTRAN computer program which simulates the optical/thermal performance of a central receiver solar thermal power plant for the dynamic conversion of solar-generated heat to electricity. The solar power plant which this program simulates consists of a field of individual sun tracking mirror units, or heliostats, redirecting sunlight into a cavity, called the receiver, mounted atop a tower. The program calculates the power retained by that cavity receiver at any point in time or the energy into the receiver over a year's time using a Monte Carlo ray trace technique to solve the multiple integral equations. An artist's concept of this plant is shown.

Single-Phase Single-Stage Grid Tied Solar PV System with Active Power Filtering Using Power Balance Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Yashi; Hussain, Ikhlaq; Singh, Bhim; Mishra, Sukumar

2018-03-01

In this paper, power quality features such as harmonics mitigation, power factor correction with active power filtering are addressed in a single-stage, single-phase solar photovoltaic (PV) grid tied system. The Power Balance Theory (PBT) with perturb and observe based maximum power point tracking algorithm is proposed for the mitigation of power quality problems in a solar PV grid tied system. The solar PV array is interfaced to a single phase AC grid through a Voltage Source Converter (VSC), which provides active power flow from a solar PV array to the grid as well as to the load and it performs harmonics mitigation using PBT based control. The solar PV array power varies with sunlight and due to this, the solar PV grid tied VSC works only 8-10 h per day. At night, when PV power is zero, the VSC works as an active power filter for power quality improvement, and the load active power is delivered by the grid to the load connected at the point of common coupling. This increases the effective utilization of a VSC. The system is modelled and simulated using MATLAB and simulated responses of the system at nonlinear loads and varying environmental conditions are also validated experimentally on a prototype developed in the laboratory.

Solar thermal power system

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Charles L.

2010-06-15

A solar thermal power generator includes an inclined elongated boiler tube positioned in the focus of a solar concentrator for generating steam from water. The boiler tube is connected at one end to receive water from a pressure vessel as well as connected at an opposite end to return steam back to the vessel in a fluidic circuit arrangement that stores energy in the form of heated water in the pressure vessel. An expander, condenser, and reservoir are also connected in series to respectively produce work using the steam passed either directly (above a water line in the vessel) or indirectly (below a water line in the vessel) through the pressure vessel, condense the expanded steam, and collect the condensed water. The reservoir also supplies the collected water back to the pressure vessel at the end of a diurnal cycle when the vessel is sufficiently depressurized, so that the system is reset to repeat the cycle the following day. The circuital arrangement of the boiler tube and the pressure vessel operates to dampen flow instabilities in the boiler tube, damp out the effects of solar transients, and provide thermal energy storage which enables time shifting of power generation to better align with the higher demand for energy during peak energy usage periods.

Solar power. [comparison of costs to wind, nuclear, coal, oil and gas

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, A. L.; Hall, Darwin C.

1990-01-01

This paper describes categories of solar technologies and identifies those that are economic. It compares the private costs of power from solar, wind, nuclear, coal, oil, and gas generators. In the southern United States, the private costs of building and generating electricity from new solar and wind power plants are less than the private cost of electricity from a new nuclear power plant. Solar power is more valuable than nuclear power since all solar power is available during peak and midpeak periods. Half of the power from nuclear generators is off-peak power and therefore is less valuable. Reliability is important in determining the value of wind and nuclear power. Damage from air pollution, when factored into the cost of power from fossil fuels, alters the cost comparison in favor of solar and wind power. Some policies are more effective at encouraging alternative energy technologies that pollute less and improve national security.

Parabolic Trough Solar Power for Competitive U.S. Markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, Henry W.

1998-01-01

Nine parabolic trough power plants located in the California Mojave Desert represent the only commercial development of large-scale solar power plants to date. Although all nine plants continue to operate today, no new solar power plants have been completed since 1990. Over the last several years, the parabolic trough industry has focused much of its efforts on international market opportunities. Although the power market in developing countries appears to offer a number of opportunities for parabolic trough technologies due to high growth and the availability of special financial incentives for renewables, these markets are also plagued with many difficulties for developers. In recent years, there has been some renewed interest in the U.S. domestic power market as a result of an emerging green market and green pricing incentives. Unfortunately, many of these market opportunities and incentives focus on smaller, more modular technologies (such as photovoltaics or wind power), and as a result they tend to exclude or are of minimum long-term benefit to large-scale concentrating solar power technologies. This paper looks at what is necessary for large-scale parabolic trough solar power plants to compete with state-of-the-art fossil power technology in a competitive U.S. power market

Thermodynamic analysis of solar assisted multi-functional trigeneration system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Önder KIZILKAN

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In this study, modelling and thermodynamic analysis of solar assisted trigeneration system was carried out. The required thermal energy for gas and vapor cycles were supplied from solar tower which is a new concept for gas cycle applications. Additionally, an absorption refrigeration cycle, vapor production process, drying process and water heating process were integrated to the system. Energy and exergy efficiencies of the trigeneration system were determined by the application of first and second law analyses. The results showed that the gas cycle efficiency was found to be 31%, vapor cycle efficiency was found to be 28% and coefficient of performance (COP values of the refrigeration system was found to be 0.77. Also the highest exergy destruction rate was found to be 4154 kW in solar tower.Keywords: Solar tower, Trigeneration, Gas cycle, Vapor cycle, Energy, Exergy

Large wet-type cooling towers and their influence on the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiffers, A.

1977-01-01

Large wet-type cooling towers with natural draft are said to be ecologically beneficial today, especially concerning the heat emission from power plants. A description is given of the influence of such cooling towers on the environment and the possible climatic influences are considered in detail. Recent investigations have shown that wet-type cooling towers represent no danger of any kind for fauna and flora as to the bacterial radiation. Physical studies have shown that neither the emitted water vapour nor the heat emitted into the atmosphere, can significantly change the macroclimate and microclimate. At present, wet-type cooling towers cannot be replaced by dry-type or so-called hybrid-type cooling towers, the technical development of which for large units being not yet guaranteed. (orig.) [de

Air emissions due to wind and solar power.

Science.gov (United States)

Katzenstein, Warren; Apt, Jay

2009-01-15

Renewables portfolio standards (RPS) encourage large-scale deployment of wind and solar electric power. Their power output varies rapidly, even when several sites are added together. In many locations, natural gas generators are the lowest cost resource available to compensate for this variability, and must ramp up and down quickly to keep the grid stable, affecting their emissions of NOx and CO2. We model a wind or solar photovoltaic plus gas system using measured 1-min time-resolved emissions and heat rate data from two types of natural gas generators, and power data from four wind plants and one solar plant. Over a wide range of renewable penetration, we find CO2 emissions achieve approximately 80% of the emissions reductions expected if the power fluctuations caused no additional emissions. Using steam injection, gas generators achieve only 30-50% of expected NOx emissions reductions, and with dry control NOx emissions increase substantially. We quantify the interaction between state RPSs and NOx constraints, finding that states with substantial RPSs could see significant upward pressure on NOx permit prices, if the gas turbines we modeled are representative of the plants used to mitigate wind and solar power variability.

Students To Race Solar-Powered Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

4 1999 — Middle school students from across the state next week will race model solar cars designed Race Solar-Powered Vehicles For more information contact: e:mail: Public Affairs Golden, Colo., May 12 inches high. The 20-meter race is a double elimination competition with awards going to the five

Concentrated Solar Power as part of the European energy supply. The realization of large-scale solar power plants. Options, constraints and recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouwmans, I.; Carton, L.J.; Dijkema, G.P.J.; Stikkelman, R.M.; De Vries, L.J.

2006-01-01

Next to solar cells and solar collectors for decentralized power generation Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology is available and proven for large-scale application of solar energy. However, after 20 years of demonstration projects and semi-commercial installations, CSP is still not widely used. In this quick-scan an overview is given of strong and weak points of CSP, as well as its' options and constraints with regard to a sustainable energy supply, focusing on technical, economical and administrative constraints and chances in Europe and European Union member states [nl

Space Solar Power Technology Demonstration for Lunar Polar Applications: Laser-Photovoltaic Wireless Power Transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Henley, M. W.; Fikes, J. C.; Howell, J.; Mankins, J. C.; Howell, Joe T. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Space Solar Power technology offers unique benefits for near-term NASA space science missions, which can mature this technology for other future applications. "Laser-Photo-Voltaic Wireless Power Transmission" (Laser-PV WPT) is a technology that uses a laser to beam power to a photovoltaic receiver, which converts the laser's light into electricity. Future Laser-PV WPT systems may beam power from Earth to satellites or large Space Solar Power satellites may beam power to Earth, perhaps supplementing terrestrial solar photo-voltaic receivers. In a near-term scientific mission to the moon, Laser-PV WPT can enable robotic operations in permanently shadowed lunar polar craters, which may contain ice. Ground-based technology demonstrations are proceeding, to mature the technology for this initial application, in the moon's polar regions.

Power Converters Maximize Outputs Of Solar Cell Strings

Science.gov (United States)

Frederick, Martin E.; Jermakian, Joel B.

1993-01-01

Microprocessor-controlled dc-to-dc power converters devised to maximize power transferred from solar photovoltaic strings to storage batteries and other electrical loads. Converters help in utilizing large solar photovoltaic arrays most effectively with respect to cost, size, and weight. Main points of invention are: single controller used to control and optimize any number of "dumb" tracker units and strings independently; power maximized out of converters; and controller in system is microprocessor.

Coherence-limited solar power conversion: the fundamental thermodynamic bounds and the consequences for solar rectennas

Science.gov (United States)

Mashaal, Heylal; Gordon, Jeffrey M.

2014-10-01

Solar rectifying antennas constitute a distinct solar power conversion paradigm where sunlight's spatial coherence is a basic constraining factor. In this presentation, we derive the fundamental thermodynamic limit for coherence-limited blackbody (principally solar) power conversion. Our results represent a natural extension of the eponymous Landsberg limit, originally derived for converters that are not constrained by the radiation's coherence, and are irradiated at maximum concentration (i.e., with a view factor of unity to the solar disk). We proceed by first expanding Landsberg's results to arbitrary solar view factor (i.e., arbitrary concentration and/or angular confinement), and then demonstrate how the results are modified when the converter can only process coherent radiation. The results are independent of the specific power conversion mechanism, and hence are valid for diffraction-limited as well as quantum converters (and not just classical heat engines or in the geometric optics regime). The derived upper bounds bode favorably for the potential of rectifying antennas as potentially high-efficiency solar converters.

Analytical Assessment of Environmental Impact for APR1400DC UHS Cooling Tower

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jaiho [KHNP-Central Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

Hot process water is pumped from the plant process to the cooling towers. Heat is rejected through evaporation of the process water, interacting with ambient air blown upward by fans.. Plumes generated from exit ports of the cooling tower may have adverse effects on the environment, such as deposition of cooling tower drift release, fogging, icing, shadowing, and ground-level temperature and humidity increase. These kinds of environmental impact of the cooling tower are linked closely with the dispersion of the cooling tower plumes. In this respect, predicting the behavior of the plumes has become one of the most important issues in the environmental assessments of the cooling towers. The SACTI (seasonal/annual cooling tower impact) model is an analytical tool to predict the environmental effect of cooling tower, which was developed by Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois with support from EPRI (electric power research institute). The initial version of SACTI has been widely used to assess the environmental effect of cooling towers in many industrial fields such as steam power plants and NPPs. Guo et. al. investigated impact of heat rejection and cooling tower height on plume dispersion using the SACTI model, for the purpose of the future construction of inland NPPs. They found that increasing cooling tower height decreases the plume length and height frequencies. Their simulation results showed that the increase in heat rejection increases the plum radius frequency. The APR1400DC is an advanced light water reactor developed for the purpose of NRC-DC (design certification). The cooling towers for APR1400DC UHS consist of two linear mechanical draft cooling towers (LMDCTs). The LMDCT for APR1400DC UHS is conceptually designed because the plant site has not been decided yet. In the present study, the dependency of plume dispersion on the number of cooling towers is investigated using SACTI-2-beta, for predicting annual environmental effect of APR

Optimal offering strategy for a concentrating solar power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, R.; Baringo, L.; Conejo, A.J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants are becoming economically viable. ► CSP production is positively correlated with the demand. ► CSP plants can be made dispatchable by using molten salt storage facilities. ► Integrating CSP plants in a market constitutes a relevant challenge. -- Abstract: This paper provides a methodology to build offering curves for a concentrating solar power plant. This methodology takes into account the uncertainty in the thermal production from the solar field and the volatility of market prices. The solar plant owner is a price-taker producer that participates in a pool-based electricity market with the aim of maximizing its expected profit. To enhance the value of the concentrating solar power plant, a molten salt heat storage is considered, which allows producing electricity during periods without availability of the solar resource. To derive offering curves, a mixed-integer linear programming model is proposed, which is robust from the point of view of the uncertainty associated with the thermal production of the solar field and stochastic from the point of view of the uncertain market prices.

An analog ensemble for short-term probabilistic solar power forecast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alessandrini, S.; Delle Monache, L.; Sperati, S.; Cervone, G.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A novel method for solar power probabilistic forecasting is proposed. • The forecast accuracy does not depend on the nominal power. • The impact of climatology on forecast accuracy is evaluated. - Abstract: The energy produced by photovoltaic farms has a variable nature depending on astronomical and meteorological factors. The former are the solar elevation and the solar azimuth, which are easily predictable without any uncertainty. The amount of liquid water met by the solar radiation within the troposphere is the main meteorological factor influencing the solar power production, as a fraction of short wave solar radiation is reflected by the water particles and cannot reach the earth surface. The total cloud cover is a meteorological variable often used to indicate the presence of liquid water in the troposphere and has a limited predictability, which is also reflected on the global horizontal irradiance and, as a consequence, on solar photovoltaic power prediction. This lack of predictability makes the solar energy integration into the grid challenging. A cost-effective utilization of solar energy over a grid strongly depends on the accuracy and reliability of the power forecasts available to the Transmission System Operators (TSOs). Furthermore, several countries have in place legislation requiring solar power producers to pay penalties proportional to the errors of day-ahead energy forecasts, which makes the accuracy of such predictions a determining factor for producers to reduce their economic losses. Probabilistic predictions can provide accurate deterministic forecasts along with a quantification of their uncertainty, as well as a reliable estimate of the probability to overcome a certain production threshold. In this paper we propose the application of an analog ensemble (AnEn) method to generate probabilistic solar power forecasts (SPF). The AnEn is based on an historical set of deterministic numerical weather prediction (NWP) model

Solar Array Power Conditioning for a Spinning Satellite

Science.gov (United States)

De Luca, Antonio; Chirulli, Giovanni

2008-09-01

The conditioning of the output power from a solar array can mainly be achieved by the adoption of DET or MPPT based architecture. There are several factors that can orientate the choice of the system designer towards one solution or the other; some of them maybe inherent to the mission derived requirements (Illumination levels, EMC cleanliness, etc.), others come directly from a careful assessment of performances and losses of both power conditioner and solar array.Definition of the criteria on which basis the final choice is justified is important as they have to guarantee a clear determination of the available versus the required power in all those mission conditions identifiable as design drivers for the overall satellite system both in terms of mass and costs.Such criteria cannot just be simple theoretical enunciations of principles; nor the meticulous definition of them on a case by case basis for different types of missions as neither option gives a guarantee of being conclusive.The aim of this paper is then to suggest assessment steps and guidelines that can be considered generically valid for any mission case, starting from the exposition of the trade off activity performed in order to choose the power conditioning solution for a spinning satellite having unregulated power bus architecture. Calculations and numerical simulations have been made in order to establish the needed solar array surface in case of adoption of a DET or MPPT solution, taking into account temperature and illumination levels on the solar cells, as well as power losses and inefficiencies from the solar generator to the main power bus, in different mission phases. Particular attention has been taken in order to correctly evaluate the thermal effects on the rest of the spacecraft as function of the adopted power system regulation.

Summary of reports on 1979 result of Sunshine Project. Solar energy; 1979 nendo sunshine keikaku seika hokokusho gaiyoshu. Taiyo energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1980-04-01

This report is a compilation of all outlines of the results concerning 'solar energy' for which R and D was carried out as a part of Sunshine Project in fiscal 1979. The research subjects (items of the studies) are written below. 1. Solar energy system (measurement of spectral irradiance, utilization system, and meteorological investigation); 2. Solar thermal power generation system; 3. Photovoltaic power generation system (basic research on solar cells, silicon vertical ribbon crystal, silicon horizontal ribbon crystal, particle non-acceleration growth type thin film silicon crystal, particle acceleration growth type thin film silicon crystal, new type solar cells, secondary to quaternary compound semiconductor solar cells, and photovoltaic power generation system); 4. Solar cooling, heating and hot water supply system (evaluation system, newly-built private residential system, existing private residential system, multiple dwelling system, large building system, synthetic resin materials, glass based materials, and metallic materials); 5. Solar energy new utilization method (new power generation system and materials); 6. R and D on solar thermal power generation plant (R and D on pilot plant, experimental research for developing plant on curved surface converging method, and experimental research for developing plant on tower converging method). (NEDO)

Combined heat and power and solar energy; BHKW und solare Energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchesi, M.; Schmidt, A.

2006-07-01

This illustrated article takes a look at a new apartment complex in Buelach, Switzerland, that meets the 'Minergie' low energy-consumption standard and also features solar-thermal heat generation. This solar installation provides heat for the provision of domestic hot water and, also, heat for the space-heating system of the building complex. The solar collectors cover an area of 153 m{sup 2}; their power is rated at 96 kW. Further elements of the building's technical services include a combined heat and power plant, a heat-pump and a gas-fired boiler. The article discusses ecological and social aspects of the design and construction of the building complex and briefly describes the installations, which also include a 'Minergie' fan-assisted balanced ventilation system.

Solar-Electrochemical Power System for a Mars Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Withrow, Colleen A.; Morales, Nelson

1994-01-01

This report documents a sizing study of a variety of solar electrochemical power systems for the intercenter NASA study known as 'Mars Exploration Reference Mission'. Power systems are characterized for a variety of rovers, habitation modules, and space transport vehicles based on requirements derived from the reference mission. The mission features a six-person crew living on Mars for 500 days. Mission power requirements range from 4 kWe to 120 kWe. Primary hydrogen and oxygen fuel cells, regenerative hydrogen and oxygen fuel cells, sodium sulfur batteries advanced photovoltaic solar arrays of gallium arsenide on germanium with tracking and nontracking mechanisms, and tent solar arrays of gallium arsenide on germanium are evaluated and compared.

Experimental Investigation on Strengthening of Bolted Connections in Transmission/Communication Towers

Science.gov (United States)

Balagopal, R.; Prasad Rao, N.; Rokade, R. P.; Umesha, P. K.

2018-02-01

Due to increase in demand for power supply and increase in bandwidth for communication industry, the existing transmission line (TL) and communication towers needs to be strengthened. The strengthening of existing tower is economical rather than installation of new towers due to constraints in acquisition of land. The size of conductors have to be increased or additional number of antenna needs to be installed in existing TL/communication tower respectively. The compression and tension capacity of members in the existing towers have to be increased to sustain the additional loads due to wind and self-weight of these components. The tension capacity enhancement of existing angle sections in live line condition without power shut-down is a challenging task. In the present study, the use of Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) plate/angle sections is explored to strengthen existing bolted connections in TL/communication towers. Experimental investigation conducted at component level on strengthening of existing two types of single cover steel butt joint, one made of steel plate and another joint made of steel angle sections respectively. First series of experiment conducted on strengthening the connection using GFRP plate/cleat angle sections. The second series of strengthening experiment is conducted using steel plate/angle sections to replace GFRP sections. The load sharing behaviour of strengthened GFRP and steel section is compared and suitable recommendations are given.

Experimental Investigation on Strengthening of Bolted Connections in Transmission/Communication Towers

Science.gov (United States)

Balagopal, R.; Prasad Rao, N.; Rokade, R. P.; Umesha, P. K.

2018-06-01

Due to increase in demand for power supply and increase in bandwidth for communication industry, the existing transmission line (TL) and communication towers needs to be strengthened. The strengthening of existing tower is economical rather than installation of new towers due to constraints in acquisition of land. The size of conductors have to be increased or additional number of antenna needs to be installed in existing TL/communication tower respectively. The compression and tension capacity of members in the existing towers have to be increased to sustain the additional loads due to wind and self-weight of these components. The tension capacity enhancement of existing angle sections in live line condition without power shut-down is a challenging task. In the present study, the use of Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) plate/angle sections is explored to strengthen existing bolted connections in TL/communication towers. Experimental investigation conducted at component level on strengthening of existing two types of single cover steel butt joint, one made of steel plate and another joint made of steel angle sections respectively. First series of experiment conducted on strengthening the connection using GFRP plate/cleat angle sections. The second series of strengthening experiment is conducted using steel plate/angle sections to replace GFRP sections. The load sharing behaviour of strengthened GFRP and steel section is compared and suitable recommendations are given.