Performance of the Vanguard Solar Dish-Stirling Engine Module. Final report

Technical Report · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5509351

Droher, J J; Squier, S E

This report summarizes information on the performance of the Vanguard Parabolic Dish/Stirling Engine Module during an 18-month period of operational testing (February 1984 through July 1985) at Rancho Mirage, California. The test module consisted of a 10.7-m-diameter parabolic dish to collect and concentrate solar beam radiation, a solar receiver, a four-cylinder Stirling engine using hydrogen as the working gas, an induction generator, and an air-cooled radiator. Historical beam insolation data are summarized for the Palm Springs area. Gross and net output of electricity, auxiliary power requirements, system availability, and capacity factors are summarized on a monthly and annual basis. Models are presented for predicting electrical output. Operating and maintenance experience is delineated chronologically and by subsystem. The performance of each major subsystem is discussed. An assessment is made of the present and future status of the dish/Stirling system. Recommendations are made for future developmental work involving dish/Stirling applications for the utility industry.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Canoga Park, CA (USA). Energy Technology Engineering Center
• OSTI ID: 5509351
• Report Number(s): EPRI-AP-4608; ON: TI86920415
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
CALIFORNIA
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
ELEMENTS
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
FEDERAL REGION IX
HEAT ENGINES
HYDROGEN
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC DISH COLLECTORS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR RECEIVERS
STIRLING ENGINES
TESTING
USA