Reliability analysis of a salt-in-tube central receiver power plant
This paper presents the results of a reliability analysis for a solar central receiver power plant that employs a salt-in-tube receiver. Because reliability data for a number of critical plant components have only recently been collected, this is the first time a credible analysis can be performed. The power plant design analyzed was similar to the 100 MW{sub e}-plant defined by Pacific Gas Electric for the US utility study of central receiver concepts. The availability calculation was performed with the UNIRAM computer code. The analysis predicted a forced outage rate of 5.4% and an overall plant availability, including scheduled outages of 91%. The code also identified the most important contributors to plant unavailability. Control system failures were identified as the most important cause of forced outages. Receiver problems were rated second with turbine outages third. The overall plant availability of 91% exceeds the goal identified by the US utility study. This paper discusses the availability calculation and presents evidence why the 91% availability is a credible estimate. 15 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/CE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6125023
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-90-0971C; CONF-910318--1; ON: DE90017037
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140702* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
142000 -- Solar Energy-- Heat Storage-- (1980-)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
296000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
AVAILABILITY
CENTRAL RECEIVERS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONTAINERS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
FLOW REGULATORS
FORECASTING
HEAT TRANSFER
HELIOSTATS
MACHINERY
MATHEMATICS
MOLTEN SALTS
OPERATION
OPTIMIZATION
OUTAGES
POWER PLANTS
PUMPS
RELIABILITY
SALTS
SIMULATION
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR RECEIVERS
STATISTICS
STEAM GENERATION
STEAM TURBINES
SYSTEM FAILURE ANALYSIS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
TANKS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TESTING
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
U CODES
VALIDATION
VALVES