Handout 16 ME 450

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

1. Smaller-scale, Low-Concentration-Ratio Systems

a. Back Reflector

Ref: www.fossilfreedom.com

b. Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC)

c. Plane Reflector

2. Larger, Higher-Concentration-Ratio systems

a. Parabolic Trough

www.solel.com

KJC (now Solel) Mojave Desert – 200 MWSolar Electric Generating System (SEGS)

2.3 million square meters of mirror surface area

Each collector: 25 ft high by 50 ft long To improve their performance they can be rotated about their roll

axis.

Fluid: synthetic oil; operating temperature: 400 ºC

WORLDS LARGEST SOLAR THERMAL POEWER PLANT

Also: Nevada One, Boulder City, CA: 64 MW plant (World’s 2nd Largest solar thermal plant)

Coming Soon (in 2011): Mojave Solar Park (553 MW). Will be world’s largest solar thermal power plant (to be built by Solel).

Coming Soon (in 2013): Kingman, Ariziona (340 MW) “Will be world’s largest” (assuming Mojave solar park falls through?

b. Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR)

Liddel Solar Thermal Plant, Phase I (1 MW), New South Wales, Australia, built by Ausra (www.ausra.com), 2004.

Kimberlina Solar Thermal Energy Plant in Barstow, CA (5 MW). Also built by Ausra.

c. Parabolic Dish Reflector

Solar Stirling power plant (probably about 25 kW) (photo: Patriotsolargroup.com)

**Stirling Energy Systems and utility Southern California Edison are building a 500-megawatt solar power plant to open in 2009. The plant will be the first commercial application of the Stirling Solar Dish. (source: geotimes.com)

Can also be used for concentrated PV systems (will ignore for now, since PV is not solar thermal).

d. Central Receiver Plant(AKA Heliostat Power Plant, Solar Power Tower)

Solar One: 1982-1986 (10 MW)Expanded into Solar Two: 1995-1999.

See a virtual field trip of Solar Two at http://www.ieesocal.org/review3.html.

Other Central Receiver Plants:

11 MW plant in Seville, Spain

Coming Soon (2011): Ivanpah, California (Mojave Desert) – 400 MW