Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 2.17 Aerial view of 11 MW PS10 solar tower plant at Sanlúcar la Mayor, Spain. (Reproduced
from Concentrating Solar Power - from research to implementation. © European Communities,
2007)
temperature, and thus effi ciency, steam from the solar system can be further heated using
conventional fuels.
In solar power towers a central receiver is mounted on top of a tower which is surrounded
by a fi eld of concentrating mirrors (heliostats) which track the sun. The heliostats refl ect
and concentrate the light on to a receiver where the energy is absorbed by the heat transfer
medium, which could be water, a molten salt or any other suitable high temperature heat
transfer liquid. Temperatures as high as 1000 °C can be achieved. System sizes up to
200 MW have been considered, but to date the largest systems constructed are considerably
less. Figure 2.17 shows one of the larger systems currently operating, the 11 MW PS10
solar tower plant at Sanlúcar la Mayor, Spain. Solar power towers are expected to be more
economic than solar farms for larger sized plant, say over 100 MW.
Since both these technologies depend on direct sunlight for effi cient operation they function
for only part of the time, and then not always at maximum output. However, because they
both involve a thermal intermediary stage, they can be combined with fossil fuel combustion
(a hybrid) and depending on design details it may be possible to incorporate thermal storage.
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