On the Convenience of Using Simulation Models to Optimize the Control Strategy of Molten-Salt Heat Storage Systems in Solar Thermal Power Plants

Miguel J. Prieto, Juan Á. Martínez, Rogelio Peón, Lourdes Á. Barcia and Fernando Nuño
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Miguel J. Prieto: Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Oviedo, 33203 Gijón, Asturias, Spain
Juan Á. Martínez: Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Oviedo, 33203 Gijón, Asturias, Spain
Rogelio Peón: Group TSK, 33203 Gijón, Asturias, Spain
Lourdes Á. Barcia: González Soriano S.A., 33420 Llanera, Asturias, Spain
Fernando Nuño: Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Oviedo, 33203 Gijón, Asturias, Spain

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: Thermal oil has been used as heat transfer fluid in many solar thermal power plants, which also use molten salts as thermal energy storage system. Since the engineering of these plants is relatively new, control of the thermal energy storage system is currently achieved in manual or semiautomatic ways, controlling its variables with proportional-integral-derivative (PID) regulators. Once the plant is running, it is very difficult to obtain permission to try new control strategies. Hence, most plants keep running on these simple, sometimes inefficient control algorithms. This paper explores the results obtained with different control strategies implemented on a complete model of energy storage systems based on molten salt. The results provided by the model allow the optimum control strategy to be selected. Comparison of the results obtained by simulation of these control strategies and actual results obtained from a real plant, confirm the accuracy of the selection made.

Keywords: solar thermal power plant; thermal energy storage; process modeling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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