Economic assessment of advanced central-receiver solar-thermal power systems. Executive summary

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6352441· OSTI ID:6352441

The value and potential electric utility impact of several advanced central receiver solar-thermal plant concepts in the role of electric generating stations are estimated. The impacts of interest included economics, the cost of producing electricity, fuels displaced, and utility system reliability. The central receiver plants evaluated included solar/fossil hybrid concepts and solar stand-alone plants with thermal storage. Liquid metal/molten salt, closed Brayton cycle, improved water-steam, and combined Brayton/Rankine cycle concepts were among those investigated. Detailed modeling of the operation of these plants, as they would operate on several electric utility systems, was the primary analytical method used. Because of the uncertainy of many assumptions, sensitivity analysis was used extensively. Analysis to optimize collector area and storage capacity was also performed. The study indicates that if the DOE cost goals can be achieved and projected solar plant performance attained, then the advanced solar-thermal concepts can be competitive in regions with good insolation and some continued use of oil or other surrogate distillate or gaseous fuels. Some thermal storage (3 to 6 hours) was also found to be desirable for most applications.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., East Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Advanced Systems Technology Div.
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-79SF10601
• OSTI ID: 6352441
• Report Number(s): DOE/SF/10601-0
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140702* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
299001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Solar-- (1989-)
BRAYTON CYCLE POWER SYSTEMS
COMBINED-CYCLE POWER PLANTS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
HYBRID SYSTEMS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
MOLTEN SALTS
POWER PLANTS
POWER SYSTEMS
RANKINE CYCLE POWER SYSTEMS
SALTS
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
STEAM
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOWER FOCUS POWER PLANTS