Effect of operating temperature on the cost of energy from solar thermal electric power plants

Technical Report · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6360497

Lukens, L L

The operating temperature of a solar thermal electric power plant controls the efficiency of the collector field, the efficiency of the power generation system and the cost of the thermal energy storage system. The effect of these three items, as temperature is varied, on the annualized cost of energy produced by the system is evaluated for both stand-alone solar and solar diesel hybrid power plants. The type of solar power plant considered is one using a linear focus distributed collector field and a Rankine cycle power generation system. Systems using different collector performance models, Rankine cycle working fluids and thermal energy storage concepts were included in the evaluation.

• Research Organization: Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 6360497
• Report Number(s): SAND-79-0801
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140700* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems
COST
DISTRIBUTED COLLECTOR POWER PLANTS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
EVALUATION
FLUIDS
HEAT STORAGE
HYBRID SYSTEMS
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
POWER PLANTS
RANKINE CYCLE
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
STORAGE
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
WORKING FLUIDS