Shallow solar pond energy conversion system: an analysis of a conceptual 10-MWe plant
A shallow solar pond system appears to be the most cost effective way to produce large scale electric power from solar energy. Water is used both for heat collection and heat storage. Inexpensive layers of weatherable transparert plastic over the water suppress heat loss to the environment. The hot water is stored in an insulated reservoir at night and during bad weather. The stored hot water heats a thermodynamic fluid, such as Freon 11, which drives a turbine and an electric generator. A shallow solar pond system can be built using materials, fabrication techniques, and geometries that are presently used on a large scale in U. S. industry. A 10 MWe plant built in the Southwest would require a total area of about 2.5 km/sup 2/ ( approximates 1 mi/sup 2/) and could provide power for a community or a manufacturing process. The estimated busbar cost of electricity (in 1973 dollars) for a shallow solar pond system, which could come on line in as short a time as 5 to 7 years, is 27 mills/kWh. It is projected that this cost could be reduced by almost half with the development of improved and cheaper plastics and more efficient turbines. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- NSA Number:
- NSA-29-028810
- OSTI ID:
- 4337691
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL--51533
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Shallow Solar Pond scheme. Performance assessment of a model system
Experimental performance of shallow solar pond of novel design