040-6420

Solar Thermal Energy System

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)
An overview

Course Instructor:
Dr. Bashria A. A. Yousef, Associate Professor

Department of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Engineering

College of Engineering, W9- 138
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Outline
Introduction
CSP: How it works
CSP technologies
Performance parameters
CSP plants
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Introduction
For many applications it is desirable to deliver energy at
temperatures higher than those possible with flat-plate
collectors.

Energy delivery temperatures can be increased by

1. Decreasing the area from which heat losses occur

2. Interposing an optical device between the source of

radiation and the energy-absorbing surface.

Small absorber will have smaller heat losses.

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DNI (Direct normal irradiance): is the amount of solar

radiation received per unit area by a surface that is
always held perpendicular (or normal) to the solar
direction

1900 and 2100 kWh/m (per year) as the threshold

from which on an economic operation of CSP plants
is possible.

Best locations ~2800 kWh/m2

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World CSP capacity

A region is suitable for CSP if it receives at least 2000 kWh/m2 of

sunlight radiation annually
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CSP criteria
Land resource (availability); The specific surface area
for a parabolic trough power plant is about 0.015-0.02
km2/MW

Water availability (for wet cooling, mirror cleaning) i.e.

Andasol 50MW power plants needs about 5 l/kWh or
870000 m3/y for cooling

Land slope: Depending on the CSP technology, slope

affects the feasibility of a CSP plant and also its costs.
Especially line focusing systems
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CSP criteria
Infrastructure: A power plant needs access to roads or
other transportation ways (navigable waterways), to high
or medium voltage power grids and to water resources if
wet cooling is planned. Additionally, pipelines may be
favourable for water transport or fuel transport for hybrid
plant operation.

Political and economic framework: The politically

controlled promotion of CSP is still necessary because of
the currently Higher Level Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of
CSP plants in comparison to fossil fired power plants and
some other competitors
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CSP APPLICATIONS
Electricity generation
It is the most important commercial application at
present. These solar systems are called Solar
Thermal Power Plants/ CSP plants

Industrial process heat

The thermal energy is used to feed industrial
processes demanding heat within the range 125C -
2000C
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CSP plants
Why are CSP plants interesting ?

i. It is the cheapest way for mass production of electricity with solar

energy

ii. It is already profitable in some Countries due to public subsidies or

incentives

iii. There is a huge market worldwide for these solar plants

iv. There are many Countries with good solar radiation level

v. These plants demand a lot of manpower for construction, as well

as for Operations & Maintenance

vi. These plants do not increase the emissions of CO2

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Main CSP Technology

Variation:
Optical design

Shape of receiver

Nature of the transfer

fluid

Capability to store
heat.
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Rankine cycles are used as

power cycle
Single axis tracking system
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C R between 10-40
Compared to PTC, lower
investment cost & efficiency
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High operation temp ( ~ 1000C)

due to high CR (150-1000)
Rankine cycle & gas turbine
cycle is applicable
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C R between 100-3000
Temperature up to 1000C
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Comparison between CSP

Technologies
Land Thermo- Operating T Solar CR Outlook for
Occupancy dynamic (o C) improvement
efficiency

PTC Medium (Flat) Low up to 400 15-45 Limited

LFR Medium Low 50-300 10 - 40 Significant

SPT Medium High 600- 1000 150 - 1500 Very

(Sloped) significant

PDC Small High 700-1500 100 - 3000 High potential

through mass
production
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Existing and Pipe line Capacity

China
China
France
France
South Africa South Africa
Australia Under Construction (MW) Australia

Moroco Moroco Operational

South South America
America
Midle East
Midle East
India
India
USA
USA Spain
Spain 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Power (MW)
Power (MW)

The Forecast report (2016) predicts significant growth in global CSP capacity,
rising from the current 4.7 GW to reach a capacity of between 10 GW and 22
GW by 2025, towards 70 to 256 GW in 2040.
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1 km2 = 100 Hectares

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Performance parameters
Capacity Factor: Its the fraction of time a plant can operate at
nominal capacity ratio of its actual output over a period of time,
to its potential output if it were possible for it to
operate at full capacity continuously over the
same period of time.

SE Solar energy generated in a whole year

Number of seconds in a year
Pnominal Nominal capacity of the plant (e.g. Andasol Plant generates
about 180 GWh of electricity, power block capacity 49.9 MW)
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Performance parameters
Solar- Electricity Efficiency: ratio of the annual net power
generation to the annual direct irradiation on the total
collector aperture of the plant

SE Solar energy generated in a whole year

e.g. Andasol Plant generates about 180 GWh of electricity,
solar field area 510,120 m2 , DNI 2136 kW-h/m2
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Performance parameters
Land use factor: ratio of the total collector aperture area of the plant to
the total land area of the plant

e.g. Andasol Plant solar field area 510, 120m2 ,

land area 1300 x 1500m = 1,950,000 m2

Land use efficiency: ratio of the annual net power generation of a plant
to the annual direct irradiation on the total construction area of the plant
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Performance parameters

Central Receiver with molten salt has a larger

efficiency (15-19%), large capacity factor 55-70
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Performance parameters

It is an economic assessment of the average total

cost to build and operate a power generating
asset, over its lifetime divided by the total energy
output of the asset over that life time.
Levelised cost of electricity
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Performance parameters

Levelised cost of electricity

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How it works

A CSP plant can be divided into three main parts:

The solar collection system
The thermal energy storage system (if exists)
The power block system
The plant layout is a Rankine cycle
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Morning operation

At first morning hours when the solar output is not so high, the heated
oil (HTF) is used for steam generation in the power block. No heat is
stored in the storage system
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Mid-day operation

If solar output is high enough, solar field can supply sufficient energy for the
power block and to fill up the storage system. Thus, part of the HTF passes
through the heat exchanger in the storage system, in order to heat the salt of the
cold tank and store it in the hot one.
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Night operation

During night, when there is not solar output, it is necessary to recover the
stored energy. The salt flows back from the hot tank through the heat
exchanger into the cold tank. Thus, heating the HTF. The hot HTF, is then
used for steam generation in the power block.
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PTC with molten salt

Active Indirect with two tanks e.g. Andasol Plants

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CSR with molten salt

Active direct system with two tanks. e.g.

Gemasolar Plant
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CSR for DSG

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Linear Fresnel for DSG

Shams One

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Ivanpah US
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Andasol CSP plant

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PS10 CSP Plant

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Gemasolar CSP plant

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Puerto Errado 2 CSP plant