Solar-Thermal Power Generation (Chapter 3)

2012. – 56 p.
This chapter provides a brief description of the various concentrating solar-thermal configurations - line-focus, on-axis, and solar central receiver systems. It then describes some key characteristics and offers definitions of parameters in the determination of the system’s performance. The levelized energy cost (LEC) is singled out as the ultimate performance parameter of any solar power generation system, and the overall annual system efficiency is found to be a fundamental factor in its determination. A performance analysis of different solar-thermal systems leads to the conclusion that there are several configurations with a potential for significantly higher system efficiency, and thus lower LEC, than those of the most commercially advanced solar-thermal systems. The highest predicted annual average system efficiency is that of a combined cycle based on an array of dish concentrators, each with its own microturbine whose residue heat is transported to a central steam-Rankine station. The analysis also shows that the development of high-efficiency Brayton microturbines at the power level of about 100 kWe, and steam-Rankine power conversion units (PCUs), or alternatives such as a supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle, at 10-100 MWe, would boost the commercialization of high-efficiency, low LEC solar-thermal systems.