Evaluation of heliostat field/receiver configurations
This report evaluates and compares north heliostat field/cavity receiver configurations and surround heliostat field/external receiver configurations. The receiver coolants are molten nitrate salts and liquid sodium. Both field/receiver configurations use molten salt thermal storage; the sodium receiver is thermally connected to thermal storage by a sodium-to-salt heat exchanger. The heliostat filed size is fixed at 1,000,000 square meters of reflective area, and the delivered molten salt temperature is fixed at 566/sup 0/C. The delivered thermal power varies from 500 to 600 MW/sub t/, depending on the overall system efficiency. The generic north heliostat field/cavity receiver configurations were found to be 6 to 10 percent efficient than a generic surround field/external receiver configuration. There was little or no difference found in the transient performance of a molten salt receiver compared to a sodium receiver connected to a sodium-to-salt heat exchanger. Four configurations were of particular interest: (1) a north heliostat field/single cavity molten salt receiver, (2) a surround heliostat field/external cylinder molten salt receiver, (3) a surround heliostat field/external cylinder liquid sodium receiver, and (4) a north heliostat field/single cavity liquid sodium receiver. It was found that the surround field/liquid sodium external receiver configuration may provide energy at a 14 percent lower levelized energy cost than a north field/molten salt cavity receiver configuration. However, the cost advantage of the surround field/liquid sodium external receiver is not conclusive because of uncertainties in system component costs.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DR00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6054009
- Report Number(s):
- SAND86-8007; ON: DE86009875
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140702 -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
CAVITY RECEIVERS
CSP
Concentrating Solar Power
EQUIPMENT
EVALUATION
HELIOSTATS
ORIENTATION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POWER PLANTS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR RECEIVERS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TESTING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOWER FOCUS POWER PLANTS