scholarly journals Visualization of Heliostat Field of Solar Thermal Tower Power Plant Using Virtual Reality (VR) Technologies

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Kamran Mahboob ◽  
Qasim Awais ◽  
Muhammad Awais ◽  
Ahsan Naseem ◽  
Safi Ullah ◽  
...  

An important part of future global energy depends on the development of the solar industry. To date, we have noticed the shift from fossil fuels energy towards renewable energy. The past decade has shown significant progress in computer science, and CAD is increasingly used for design and development. Visualization of the data generated from the models in the CAD program plays an important role in the creation of state-of-the-art designs. An important limitation during the design phase is the visualization of three-dimensional geometry. This article attempts to illustrate the use of VR technologies in solar thermal power plant development. This article analyzes various strategies and methods for the visualization of CAD models in virtual reality. Android phone interfaces with a desktop computer, as well as head movement control strategies, are discussed. It is concluded that VR technologies can help with visualization, as well as in the development of the field of solar thermal power plants, having minimal design-related issues.

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (04) ◽  
pp. 2050030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Fani ◽  
Nima Norouzi ◽  
Molood Ramezani

The tendency of renewable energies is one of the consequences of changing attitudes towards global energy issues. As a result, solar energy, which is the leader among renewable energies based on availability and potential, plays a crucial role in thoroughly filing global needs. Significant problems with the solar thermal power plants (STPP) are the operation time, which is limited by daylight and is approximately half of the power plants with fossil fuels, and the capital cost. In the present study, a new suggested sketch of adding latent heat storage (LHS) filled with commercial phase change material (PCM) to a 500-kW STPP case study has been investigated. Solar system details and irradiation amounts for a case study, including total and beam radiation have been determined. Also, the theoretical energetic and exergetic analysis of adding PCM storage to STTP is conducted, which showed a 19% improvement in the exergetic efficiency of the power plant to reach 30%. Besides, an optimized storage tank and appropriate PCM material have been investigated and selected concerning the practical limitations of the case study. By designing a new cycle, the LHS will be charged during daylight and will be discharged at night, doubling power plant operation time up to 2500[Formula: see text]h. Finally, exergoeconomic survey of STPP hybrid with PCM storage was carried out using Engineering Equation Solver (EES) program with genetic algorithm (GA) for three different scenarios, based on eight decision variables, which led us to decrease final product cost (electricity) in optimized scenario up to 30% compared to base case scenario from 28.99 to 20.27 $/kWh for the case study. Also, a comparison is made to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed new cycle on 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 kW STTPs.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Llamas ◽  
David Bullejos ◽  
Manuel Ruiz de Adana

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%.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongrong Zhai ◽  
Yongping Yang ◽  
Yong Zhu ◽  
Denggao Chen

Solar aided coal-fired power plants utilize various types of solar thermal energy for coupling coal-fired power plants by using the characteristics of various thermal needs of the plants. In this way, the costly thermal storage system and power generating system will be unnecessary while the intermittent and unsteady way of power generation will be avoided. Moreover, the large-scale utilization of solar thermal power and the energy-saving aim of power plants will be realized. The contribution evaluating system of solar thermal power needs to be explored. This paper deals with the evaluation method of solar contribution based on the second law of thermodynamics and the principle of thermoeconomics with a case of 600 MW solar aided coal-fired power plant. In this study, the feasibility of the method has been carried out. The contribution of this paper is not only to determine the proportion of solar energy in overall electric power, but also to assign the individual cost components involving solar energy. Therefore, this study will supply the theoretical reference for the future research of evaluation methods and new energy resource subsidy.


Author(s):  
Jaya Goswami

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance metrics of a solar thermal power plant with dry cooling and further implement a method to increase the cycle efficiency, using passive cooling techniques within the dry cooling cycle. Current methods implementing dry cooled condensation use an air-cooled condenser for heat rejection. While this reduces the water consumption of the plant, it results in performance penalties in the overall plant between 5–10% [1]. Passive cooling methods can be used to alleviate the performance penalties. While passive cooling methods have been studied and used on a small scale, this model explores the possibilities of applying these methods to large-scale solar thermal power plants. Based on the model developed, it was found that underground-cooling techniques can improve the performance of the overall dry cooled solar thermal power plant by up to 3% at peak dry bulb temperatures. This study finds that there is a possibility to apply these passive cooling techniques on a large scale to yield positive results.


Author(s):  
A. A. Aliabadi ◽  
J. S. Wallace

A design study was conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of solar thermal power generation in a 50 kWe power plant that could be used in a remote location. The system combines a solar collector-thermal storage system utilizing a heat transfer fluid and a simple Rankine cycle power generator utilizing R123 refrigerant. Evacuated tube solar collectors heat mineral oil and supply it to a thermal storage tank. A mineral oil to refrigerant heat exchanger generates superheated refrigerant vapor, which drives a radial turbogenerator. Supplemental natural gas firing maintains a constant thermal storage temperature irregardless of solar conditions enabling the system to produce a constant 50 kWe output. A simulation was carried out to predict the performance of the system in the hottest summer day and the coldest winter day for southern California solar conditions. A rigorous economic analysis was conducted. The system offers advantages over advanced solar thermal power plants by implementing simple fixed evacuated tube collectors, which are less prone to damage in harsh desert environment. Also, backed up by fossil fuel power generation, it is possible to obtain continued operation even during low insolation sky conditions and at night, a feature that stand-alone PV systems do not offer.


Author(s):  
F. Zaversky ◽  
S. Bergmann ◽  
W. Sanz

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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