Programmer's manual for the University of Houston computer code RCELL: cellwise optimization for the solar central receiver project
The optical analysis of the central receiver system is concerned with the geometry of the heliostats, their neighborhoods in the collector field, the central receiver and the sun. The code exists in three versions. The cellwise optimization program contains the RCELL subroutine and is referred to as the RC code system. The individual heliostat performance model (for small systems and/or final design studies) is referred to as the IH code system. Systems having more than 2500 heliostats require an impractical amount of core and CPU if they are represented by the IH version. Consequently, a cellwise performance model is maintained that contains a cell model of the collector field. The field cells are square and have a north-south orientation. Hence the cellwise performance model is referred to as the NS code. The RCELL optimization program determines the optimum heliostat spacing parameters in each cell and the optimum trim of the collector field using a detailed cost and performance model for the thermal energy available at the base of the tower. Optimization is based on estimates of thermal system cost and total annual energy available at the base of the tower. The estimate of annual energy depends on the insolation model, the receiver interception fractions which are input to RCELL from a previous NS code execution, and the loss model. The arrangement of heliostats is largely determined by the shading and blocking losses.
- Research Organization:
- Houston Univ., TX (USA). Energy Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-79SF10763
- OSTI ID:
- 6602102
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/SF/10763-T5; SAN-0763-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COMPUTER CODES
R CODES
TOWER FOCUS COLLECTORS
OPTICS
OPTIMIZATION
TOWER FOCUS POWER PLANTS
CENTRAL RECEIVERS
CONFIGURATION
FLOWSHEETS
GEOMETRY
HELIOSTATS
INSOLATION
MANUALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PERFORMANCE
SHADING
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
DIAGRAMS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EQUIPMENT
MATHEMATICS
POWER PLANTS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR RECEIVERS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
140702* - Solar Thermal Power Systems- Central Receiver
141000 - Solar Collectors & Concentrators