Solar Tower

An alternate way to enhance

energy
Presented by Aziz Companiwala
 Contents

 What is Solar Tower

 Classifications

 Steam Based
 Molten Salt Based

 Heliostat
 Advantages of use of Solar Energy

 Application

 Newly setup solar towers

 Scope in India
 Solar Tower is method to convert solar energy
into electrical energy

 Solar towers generate electric power from sunlight by

focusing concentrated solar radiation on a tower-mounted
heat exchanger (receiver).
Solar Tower can basically classified as:-

1)Steam Based Solar Tower

 Water is used as medium which is converted

to steam to generate electric power

2)Molten Salt Based Solar Tower

 Here melted solution of potassium nitrate and

sodium nitrate is used instead of water as a
medium
 1)Steam Based Solar Tower

Working Procedure:-

 In solar tower, water is pumped to the receiver at

topmost part of Solar tower.

 Now solar radiation would be concentrated on

receiver via Heliostat

 Thus steam is generated due to rise in temperature

inside the receiver tank which is further used in
steam turbine generator
Working Procedure:-

 Thus Electric Power is generated from Solar

Energy
 Heliostat

 Heliostat is a Greek word:-

Helios- sun
stat - stationary

 A Heliostat is a device that tracks

the movement of the sun.

 A heliostat is a device made of a plane metallic mirror,

which turns on as to keep reflecting sunlight towards
a predetermined target.
 Limitation of this method is there is no
alternative to produce electricity in
absence of sunlight.
 2)Molten Salt Based Solar Tower

 Here melted solution of potassium nitrate and

sodium nitrate instead of water as a medium

 This molten salt mixture (60 % sodium nitrate and

40% potassium nitrate) is used due to its
properties of absorbing and accumulating heat
energy for long time.

This plant is known as Gama Solar Tower.

 This type of solar tower will work for

approximate 4-5 hours in absence of sunlight.
 Advantages of use of Solar Energy

 Solar energy is renewable, and also accessible in any

part of the world.

 solar energy is non-pollutant, zero noise pollution –

since there are no moving parts in any of the devices
which are used to capture the sunlight.

 Maintenance costs are low as well – only occasional

cleaning and periodic battery replacements are
needed.

 long-life operation guaranteeing.

 Applications

 In order to supply Electricity for street lights, &

wherever the grid electricity is unreliable or
unavailable, solar power tower technologies are
used.

 Solar Power can be used as Alternative for Wind &

Hydro power.

 These plants are best suited for utility-scale

applications in the 30 to 400 MW range.

 Provides rough enough Electricity for night use &

during Cloudy weather.
 Newly setup solar towers
 Ivanpah Solar Power Facility:- 1,080 (GWh) Yearly
Production in United States.Estimated to be completed
till 2013.

 Crescent Dunes Solar Energy:- 500 (GWh) Yearly

Production in United States. Estimated to be completed
till 2013

 PS20 solar power tower:- 44 (GWh)

Yearly Production in Spain. Established
in 2009.

 Gemasolar:- 100 (GWh) Yearly

Production in Spain. Established in
2011.

 PS10 solar power tower:- 24 (GWh) PS10 solar power

Yearly Production in Spain. Established tower in spain
in 2006
 Solar Project - Australia
Basic Prnciple:- Hot Air Rises
 Establishment of solar tower in
India

 As this three basic need (Land, source, and solar

energy) are provided in India this can a great source of
energy in future.

 As Tropic of cancer line passes through India which

give indication that India can have great source of
solar energy.

 As Tropic of Cancer line passes through Gujarat(So

great amount of solar energy), and also a rich source of
sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate and a large flat
surface is available in Kutch, So that Gama solar tower
can be established there which will prove a great
source of energy in future.
 Thank you

Presented by

Aziz Companiwala

2nd year mechatronics