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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Potential for using parabolic trough collectors to supplement power-cycle boilers

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6267625
An analysis has been made to the potential for using a parabolic trough solar collector system for preheat and boiling in a power generation cycle. The advantage of such a system is that solar energy is used to heat the water in a steam-Rankine cycle device up to the superheat regime, thus displacing the fossil fuel usually required. The temperature associated with this portion of the power cycle is typically on the order of 320/sup 0/C (600/sup 0/F) or less, which makes it compatible with current parabolic trough collector systems. A system model which lends itself to optimization studies has been constructed and exercised over a range of the multiparameter space involved. The collector field, storage, supplementary fossil boiler and superheater, and turbine/generator have been traded off to obtain a series of economically optimal systems for various years and solar fractions.
Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
6267625
Report Number(s):
SAND-81-0572C; CONF-811101-3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English