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Title: Manufacturing Cost Analysis of Advanced Parabolic Trough Collector

Conference ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0085663· OSTI ID:1874012
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The research team performed a detailed bottom-up manufacturing cost estimate for an advanced parabolic trough design - the Solar Dynamics Sunbeam-MT (Sunbeam Mid-Term). This includes all components for manufacturing and assembly in a manufacturing facility (e.g. space frame and arms), and the purchased parts (e.g. mirrors and receiver tubes). Estimates of the construction and assembly activities have been made to then determine an estimated installed cost. Prior analysis has already undertaken detailed bottom-up manufacturing, assembly, and construction analysis for the Ultimate Trough from schlaich bergermann partner (sbp), and this work updates the solar field cost estimates based on a similar aperture area as the SunBeam-MT. For this analysis, the Ultimate Trough is considered the commercial parabolic trough and the Sunbeam-MT as the advanced parabolic trough. For similarity, both the Sunbeam-MT and the Ultimate Trough have been modelled with a solar field with approximately 800,000 square meters (m2) in aperture area - the equivalent of a large CSP plant. The analysis has found a potential installed cost estimate of the Sunbeam-MT could be $120/m2 but must be built at scale to confirm this estimate. Compared to prior analysis, the commercial Ultimate Trough using U.S. conditions, has reduced in installed cost from $178/m2 to $152/m2. Both designs could be even cheaper with Chinese steel.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1874012
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-7A40-83284; MainId:84057; UUID:ed7cca06-9fd3-4223-8276-d2f4cc6d901d; MainAdminID:64755
Resource Relation:
Conference: Presented at SOLARPACES 2020: 26th International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, 28 September - 2 October 2020, Freiburg, Germany; Related Information: 77829
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (6)

Parabolic Trough Reference Plant for Cost Modeling with the Solar Advisor Model (SAM) report July 2010
Development of an Advanced Large-aperture Parabolic Trough Collector journal January 2014
Planning and building the first ultimate trough collector field in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Riffelmann, K. -J.; Schweitzer, A.; Weinrebe, G.
  • SOLARPACES 2018: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5117582
conference January 2019
Environmental Loading Conditions for CSP Solar Fields journal May 2015
Ultimate Trough: The New Parabolic Trough Collector Generation for Large Scale Solar Thermal Power Plants conference March 2012
LCOE reduction potential of parabolic trough and solar tower technology in G20 countries until 2030
  • Dersch, Jürgen; Dieckmann, Simon; Hennecke, Klaus
  • SOLARPACES 2019: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0028883
conference January 2020

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Related Subjects

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY,SOLAR ENERGY
cost analysis
CSP
DFMA
manufacturing
parabolic trough collector