Assessing the Uncertainties of Simulation Approaches for Solar Thermal Systems Coupled to Industrial Processes

José M. Cardemil, Ignacio Calderón-Vásquez, Alan Pino, Allan Starke, Ian Wolde, Carlos Felbol, Leonardo F. L. Lemos, Vinicius Bonini, Ignacio Arias, Javier Iñigo-Labairu, Jürgen Dersch and Rodrigo Escobar
Additional contact information
José M. Cardemil: Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Ignacio Calderón-Vásquez: Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Alan Pino: Department of Energy Engineering, University of Seville, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Allan Starke: LEPTEN—Laboratory of Energy Conversion Engineering and Energy Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, Brazil
Ian Wolde: Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Carlos Felbol: Center for Solar Energy Technologies, Fraunhofer Chile Research, Santiago 8580704, Chile
Leonardo F. L. Lemos: LEPTEN—Laboratory of Energy Conversion Engineering and Energy Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, Brazil
Vinicius Bonini: LEPTEN—Laboratory of Energy Conversion Engineering and Energy Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, Brazil
Ignacio Arias: Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Javier Iñigo-Labairu: German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Solar Research, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany
Jürgen Dersch: German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Solar Research, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany
Rodrigo Escobar: Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-29

Abstract: Industrial energy accounts for a large percentage of global consumption and, thus, it is a target for decarbonization by renewable and in particular solar energy adoption. Low uncertainty simulation tools can reduce the financial risk of solar projects, fostering the transition to a sustainable energy system. Several simulation tools are readily available to developers; differences exist in the format of input data and complexity of physical and numerical models. These tools can provide a variety of results from technical to financial and sensitivity analysis, often producing significant differences in yield assessment and uncertainty levels. IEA SHC Task 64/SolarPACES Task IV—Subtask C aims to address the lack of standard simulation tools for Solar Heating of Industrial Processes (SHIP) plants. This article describes the collaborative work developed by the researchers participating in the task. The identification and classification of several currently available simulation tools are performed on the basis of their capabilities and simulation approaches. A case study of solar heat supply to a copper mining operation is defined, allowing a comparison of the results produced by equivalent simulation tools. The proposed methodology identifies the main sources of differences among the simulation tools, the assessment of the deviation considering a series of statistical metrics for different time scales, and identifies their limitations and bias. The effects of physical characteristics of SHIP plants and different simulation approaches are discussed and quantified. The obtained results allow us to develop a basic guideline for a standardized yield assessment procedure with known uncertainties. Creating this common framework could partially reduce the risk perceived by the finance industry regarding SHIP systems.

Keywords: solar process heat; simulation tools; yield assessment; solar thermal systems (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/9/3333/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/9/3333/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:9:p:3333-:d:808063

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().