Solar Thermal Power Plants - Renewable Energy: Technology, Economics and Environment - page 208

In the last years, various dish/Stirling prototypes have been developed and
tested. Of some types, several units have been built. Table 5.10 shows the main
parameters of the current dish/Stirling plants /5-25/.

Table 5.10 Solar thermal trial and pilot plants (see also /5-25/)

MDAC SES/

Boeing

SAIC/
STM

WGA
ADDS

SBP EuroDish

Year of operation
Capacity in kW net
Efficiency in %
Number
Operating hours in h
Availability in %
Status

84 - 88
25
29 - 30 a
6
12,000
40 - 84
Terminated

since 98
25
27
3
25,000
94
Trial run

since 94
22
20
5
6,400
Trial run

since 99
9
22
2
5,000
Trial run

1990 - 2000
9
18 - 21
9
40,000
50 - 90
Terminated

since 2000
10
22
7
10,000
80 - 95
Trial run

Concentrator
Diameter in m
Design
Number of facets
Facet size in cm
Mirror support/
Reflector
Reflectivity in %
Concentration factor
Operation hours in h
Efficiency in %

10.57
1 b
82
91 x 122
glass/
silver
91
2,800
175,000
88.1

10.57
1 b
82
91 x 122
glass/
silver
>90
2,800
30,000

12.25
2 c
16
∅ 300
glass/
silver
>90
18,000
90 (design)

7.5
3 d
24
glass/
silver
94
54,000

7.5 - 8.5
2 c
1
∅750 - 850
glass/
silver
94
3,000
100,000
88

8.5
3 d
12
glass/
silver
94 (new)
2,500
10,000
88

Machine
Manufacturer
Capacity in kW el
Working gas
Pressure in MPa max
Max. gas temp. in o C
Operating hours in h
Efficiency in %

USAB
25
H 2
20
720
8, 000
38.5

USAB/SES
25
H 2
20
720
35,000

STM Corp.
22
H 2
12
720
33.2

SOLO
10
H 2
15
650
80,000
33

SOLO
9
He
15
650
350,000
30 - 32

SOLO
10
He or H 2
15
650
100,000
30 - 33

Receiver
Type
Aperture diameter in cm
Tube temperature in o C
Efficiency in %

tube
20
810
90

tube
20
810

tube
22
800

tube
15
850
90

tube
25 - 15
850
90

tube
15
850
90

Max. maximum; temp. temperature; a at a gas temperature of 760 °C; b

facetted glass mirror;

c stretched membrane; d sandwich structure.

Fig. 5.23 shows the example of a typical characteristic power curve for the
10 kW EuroDish plants which have been operated since 2001 in continuous op-
eration (sunrise to sunset) for a total of approximately 10,000 hours (energy and
capacity data standardised according to IEA directive /5-21/, /5-25/). According to
these figures, the Stirling machine has a shaft power of 11 kW. The tube receiver
is cooled by a fan in the overload range at high radiation of over 800 W/m 2 .
The concentrator consists of sandwich elements made of fibre-glass reinforced
epoxy resin. The segments are assembled to form a closed shell supported by a