Thermoeconomic Analysis of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Based on Supercritical Power Cycles
Solar thermal power plants are an alternative for the future energy context, allowing for a progressive decarbonisation of electricity production. One way to improve the performance of such plants is the use of supercritical CO<sub>2</sub> power cycles. This article focuses on a solar th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/13/7836 |
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| author | María José Montes Rafael Guedez David D’Souza José Ignacio Linares |
| author_facet | María José Montes Rafael Guedez David D’Souza José Ignacio Linares |
| author_sort | María José Montes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Solar thermal power plants are an alternative for the future energy context, allowing for a progressive decarbonisation of electricity production. One way to improve the performance of such plants is the use of supercritical CO<sub>2</sub> power cycles. This article focuses on a solar thermal plant with a central solar receiver coupled to a partial cooling cycle, and it conducts a comparative study from both a thermal and economic perspective with the aim of optimising the configuration of the receiver. The design of the solar receiver is based on a radial configuration, with absorber panels converging on the tower axis; the absorber panels are compact structures through which a pressurised gas circulates. The different configurations analysed keep a constant thermal power provided by the receiver while varying the number of panels and their dimensions. The results demonstrate the existence of an optimal configuration that maximises the exergy efficiency of the solar subsystem, taking into account both the receiver exergy efficiency and the heliostat field optical efficiency. The evolution of electricity generation cost follows a similar trend to that of the exergy efficiency, exhibiting minimum values when this efficiency is at its maximum. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:46:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b6f337acaa6d48cf92a10329f676cec7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:46:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6f337acaa6d48cf92a10329f676cec72023-11-18T16:12:07ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172023-07-011313783610.3390/app13137836Thermoeconomic Analysis of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Based on Supercritical Power CyclesMaría José Montes0Rafael Guedez1David D’Souza2José Ignacio Linares3E.T.S. Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 12, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Energy Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Brinellvägen 68, 100 44 Stockholm, SwedenE.T.S. Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 12, 28040 Madrid, SpainRafael Mariño Chair on New Energy Technologies, Comillas Pontifical University, Alberto Aguilera 25, 28015 Madrid, SpainSolar thermal power plants are an alternative for the future energy context, allowing for a progressive decarbonisation of electricity production. One way to improve the performance of such plants is the use of supercritical CO<sub>2</sub> power cycles. This article focuses on a solar thermal plant with a central solar receiver coupled to a partial cooling cycle, and it conducts a comparative study from both a thermal and economic perspective with the aim of optimising the configuration of the receiver. The design of the solar receiver is based on a radial configuration, with absorber panels converging on the tower axis; the absorber panels are compact structures through which a pressurised gas circulates. The different configurations analysed keep a constant thermal power provided by the receiver while varying the number of panels and their dimensions. The results demonstrate the existence of an optimal configuration that maximises the exergy efficiency of the solar subsystem, taking into account both the receiver exergy efficiency and the heliostat field optical efficiency. The evolution of electricity generation cost follows a similar trend to that of the exergy efficiency, exhibiting minimum values when this efficiency is at its maximum.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/13/7836solar central receiversupercritical carbon dioxidesupercritical partial-cooling cyclesolar thermal power plantsexergy efficiency |
| spellingShingle | María José Montes Rafael Guedez David D’Souza José Ignacio Linares Thermoeconomic Analysis of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Based on Supercritical Power Cycles Applied Sciences solar central receiver supercritical carbon dioxide supercritical partial-cooling cycle solar thermal power plants exergy efficiency |
| title | Thermoeconomic Analysis of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Based on Supercritical Power Cycles |
| title_full | Thermoeconomic Analysis of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Based on Supercritical Power Cycles |
| title_fullStr | Thermoeconomic Analysis of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Based on Supercritical Power Cycles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermoeconomic Analysis of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Based on Supercritical Power Cycles |
| title_short | Thermoeconomic Analysis of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Based on Supercritical Power Cycles |
| title_sort | thermoeconomic analysis of concentrated solar power plants based on supercritical power cycles |
| topic | solar central receiver supercritical carbon dioxide supercritical partial-cooling cycle solar thermal power plants exergy efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/13/7836 |
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