Methodology to Assess Potential Glint and Glare Hazards From Concentrating Solar Power Plants: Analytical Models and Experimental Validation

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford K. Ho ◽  
Cheryl M. Ghanbari ◽  
Richard B. Diver
Keyword(s):  
Power Systems ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Eye Damage ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Source Sample ◽  
Safety Metrics

With a growing number of concentrating solar power systems being designed and developed, the potential impact of glint and glare from concentrating solar collectors and receivers is receiving increased attention as a potential hazard or as a distraction for motorists, pilots, and pedestrians. This paper provides analytical methods to evaluate the irradiance originating from specularly and diffusely reflecting sources as a function of distance and characteristics of the source. Sample problems are provided for both specular and diffuse sources, and validation of the models is performed via testing. In addition, a summary of safety metrics is compiled from the literature to evaluate the potential hazards of calculated irradiances from glint and glare for short-term exposures. Previous safety metrics have focused on prevention of permanent eye damage (e.g., retinal burn). New metrics used in this paper account for temporary after-image, which can occur at irradiance values several orders of magnitude lower than the irradiance values required for irreversible eye damage.

Methodology to Assess Potential Glint and Glare Hazards From Concentrating Solar Power Plants: Analytical Models and Experimental Validation

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford K. Ho ◽  
Cheryl M. Ghanbari ◽  
Richard B. Diver
Keyword(s):  
Power Systems ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Eye Damage ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Source Sample ◽  
Safety Metrics

With growing numbers of concentrating solar power systems being designed and developed, glint and glare from concentrating solar collectors and receivers is receiving increased attention as a potential hazard or distraction for motorists, pilots, and pedestrians. This paper provides analytical methods to evaluate the irradiance originating from specularly and diffusely reflecting sources as a function of distance and characteristics of the source. Sample problems are provided for both specular and diffuse sources, and validation of the models is performed via testing. In addition, a summary of safety metrics is compiled from the literature to evaluate the potential hazards of calculated irradiances from glint and glare. Previous safety metrics have focused on prevention of permanent eye damage (e.g., retinal burn). New metrics used in this paper account for temporary flash blindness, which can occur at irradiance values several orders of magnitude lower than the irradiance values required for irreversible eye damage.

scholarly journals A Review of Conventional and Innovative- Sustainable Methods for Cleaning Reflectors in Concentrating Solar Power Plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Bouaddi ◽  
Aránzazu Fernández-García ◽  
Chris Sansom ◽  
Jon Sarasua ◽  
Fabian Wolfertstetter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Water Based ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Cleaning Methods ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Solar Field ◽  
High Reflectance

The severe soiling of reflectors deployed in arid and semi arid locations decreases their reflectance and drives down the yield of the concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. To alleviate this issue, various sets of methods are available. The operation and maintenance (O&M) staff should opt for sustainable cleaning methods that are safe and environmentally friendly. To restore high reflectance, the cleaning vehicles of CSP plants must adapt to the constraints of each technology and to the layout of reflectors in the solar field. Water based methods are currently the most commonly used in CSP plants but they are not sustainable due to water scarcity and high soiling rates. The recovery and reuse of washing water can compensate for these methods and make them a more reasonable option for mediterranean and desert environments. Dry methods, on the other hand, are gaining more attraction as they are more suitable for desert regions. Some of these methods rely on ultrasonic wave or vibration for detaching the dust bonding from the reflectors surface, while other methods, known as preventive methods, focus on reducing the soiling by modifying the reflectors surface and incorporating self cleaning features using special coatings. Since the CSP plants operators aim to achieve the highest profit by minimizing the cost of cleaning while maintaining a high reflectance, optimizing the cleaning parameters and strategies is of great interest. This work presents the conventional water-based methods that are currently used in CSP plants in addition to sustainable alternative methods for dust removal and soiling prevention. Also, the cleaning effectiveness, the environmental impacts and the economic aspects of each technology are discussed.

Optimal scheduling in concentrating solar power plants oriented to low generation cycling

2019 ◽  
Vol 135 ◽  
pp. 789-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilian Gelu Cojocaru ◽  
José Manuel Bravo ◽  
Manuel Jesús Vasallo ◽  
Diego Marín Santos
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Optimal Scheduling ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Solar Power Plants

A review of concentrating solar power plants in the world and their potential use in Serbia

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 3891-3902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomislav M. Pavlović ◽  
Ivana S. Radonjić ◽  
Dragana D. Milosavljević ◽  
Lana S. Pantić
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
The World ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Potential Use

scholarly journals Pilot Low-Cost Concentrating Solar Power Systems Deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study of Implementation Challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6223
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Wendsongre Ramde ◽  
Eric Tutu Tchao ◽  
Yesuenyeagbe Atsu Kwabla Fiagbe ◽  
Jerry John Kponyo ◽  
Asakipaam Simon Atuah
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Tracking Systems ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Sub Saharan

Electricity is one of the most crucial resources that drives any given nation’s growth and development. The latest Sustainable Development Goals report indicates Africa still has a high deficit in electricity generation. Concentrating solar power seems to be a potential option to fill the deficit. That is because most of the components of concentrating solar power plants are readily available on the African market at affordable prices, and there are qualified local persons to build the plants. Pilot micro-concentrating solar power plants have been implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa and have shown promising results that could be expanded and leveraged for large-scale electricity generation. An assessment of a pilot concentrating solar power plant in the sub-region noticed one noteworthy obstacle that is the failure of the tracking system to reduce the operating energy cost of running the tracking control system and improve the multifaceted heliostat focusing behavior. This paper highlights the energy situation and the current development in concentrating solar power technology research in Africa. The paper also presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art solar tracking systems for central receiver systems to illustrate the current direction of research regarding the design of low-cost tracking systems in terms of computational complexity, energy consumption, and heliostat alignment accuracy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document