Electric power station

Definition

A solar thermal power station is an industrial facility in which, from the heating of a fluid through solar radiation and its use in a conventional thermodynamic cycle, produces the necessary power to move an alternator to generate the electricity like in a classic thermal power station.

Its necessary to concentrate the solar radiation to reach high temperatures, of 300ºC to 1000ºC, to obtain an acceptable performance in the thermodynamic cycle, which couldn’t be obtained with lower temperatures. The concentratión and collection of solar beams are made through mirrors with automatic orientation that aim to a central tower where the fluid is heated, or with smaller mechanisms of parabolic geometry. The set of the reflective surface and its orientation device its named heliostato.

The fluids and the thermodynamic cycles chosen in the  experimental configurations that have been tested, as well as the motors that are involved , are varied, and go from the Rankine cycle (nuclear power stations, coal-fired power stations), Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), to the Brayton Cycle (Natural gas power station) passing through other varieties like the Stirling Engine, being the most used that combine the solar thermal energy with natural gas.

Model of the electric power station with UHV Collectors from SRB

SRB has designed in plants both to operate with steam turbines and with ORC turbines. The projects that nowadays are more advanced and have been the most in demand by the market, are the ones that use ORC turbines. This projects incorporate the following characteristics:

0. Work temperature for the ORC cycle of 315ºC, which entailes less performance, but for the characteristic of the SRB Collector, more energy throughout the year, to obtain an annual calculation.
0. Work with less temperature entailes less costs of plant (valves, pipes, etc.).
0. SRB has designed an innovative control system that increases inferior radiation.