Optimal Operation Strategies into Deregulated Markets for 50 MWe Parabolic Trough Solar Thermal Power Plants with Thermal Storage

The evolution of electric generation systems, according to relevant legislation, allows for the parallel evolution of the installed power capacity of renewable resources with the development of technologies for renewable resources, therefore optimizing the choice of energy mix from renewable resources by prioritizing the implementation of concentrating solar thermal plants. Thanks to their great potential, parabolic trough solar thermal power plants have become the most widely spread type of electricity generation by renewable solar energy. Nonetheless, the operation of the plant is not unique; it must be adapted to the parameters of solar radiation and market behavior for each specific location. This work focuses on the search for the optimal strategies of operation by a mathematical model of a 50 MWe parabolic trough thermal power plant with thermal storage. The analysis of the different ways of operation throughout a whole year, including model verification via a currently operating plant, provides meaningful insights into the electricity generated. Focused to work under non-regulated electricity markets to adjust this type of technology to the European directives, the presented model of optimization allows for the adaptation of the curve of generation to the network demands and market prices, rising the profitability of the power plant. Thus, related to solar resources and market price, the economic benefit derived from the electricity production improves between 5.17% and 7.79%.

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Performance model for parabolic trough solar thermal power plants with thermal storage: Comparison to operating plant data

Solar Energy ◽

10.1016/j.solener.2011.07.002 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 85 (10) ◽

pp. 2443-2460 ◽

Cited By ~ 181

Author(s):

Isabel Llorente García ◽

José Luis Álvarez ◽

Daniel Blanco

Keyword(s):

Power Plants ◽

Thermal Power ◽

Thermal Storage ◽

Performance Model ◽

Solar Thermal ◽

Thermal Power Plants ◽

Parabolic Trough ◽

Solar Thermal Power ◽

Plant Data ◽

Operating Plant

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Detailed Modeling of Parabolic Trough Collectors for the Part Load Simulation of Solar Thermal Power Plants

Volume 6: Oil and Gas Applications; Concentrating Solar Power Plants; Steam Turbines; Wind Energy ◽

10.1115/gt2012-68032 ◽

2012 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

F. Zaversky ◽

S. Bergmann ◽

W. Sanz

Keyword(s):

Heat Transfer ◽

Power Plant ◽

Power Plants ◽

Thermal Power ◽

Solar Thermal ◽

Thermal Power Plants ◽

Steam Generation ◽

Parabolic Trough ◽

Solar Thermal Power ◽

Direct Steam

Solar thermal power plants are a promising way of providing clean renewable electric energy. These plants concentrate the incoming solar direct irradiation in order to heat up a heat transfer fluid. The collected thermal energy can be stored or instantly delivered to a power block where part of the thermal energy is converted to electrical energy in a turbine with the connected generator. The parabolic trough collector plant is the today’s most developed solar thermal power plant type. There the solar irradiation is focused on receiver tubes which are concentrically placed to the focal lines of the parabolic trough collectors. A high temperature oil is pumped through these receiver tubes, which collects the heat and delivers it later on to the steam generator of the connected Rankine steam cycle. In order to improve the efficiency of these solar thermal power plants, the direct steam generation (DSG) within the parabolic trough collector receiver tubes is being investigated. Both types of parabolic trough collectors, the conventional type using oil as heat transfer fluid and the direct steam generation type, are subject of this paper. A detailed steady-state parabolic trough collector model was developed for each type, using the thermodynamic simulation software IPSEpro. The developed models consider the cosine-loss attenuation factor, the shading attenuation factor, optical losses, as well as thermal losses. Appropriate heat transfer and pressure loss correlations were implemented for both collector types. For the direct steam generation model, distinct collectors for the preheating section, the evaporation section and the superheating section were used. Furthermore, the suitable length of discretization for the modeling of one collector loop within a center-fed solar field was investigated. Calculated solar field performance data for the oil concept were compared to validated data available in open literature. Finally, a power plant simulation with each collector type, over the course of one reference day, showed the great potential of the direct steam generation, as well as the suitability of IPSEpro for running solar thermal power plant yield simulations.

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