Heat Transfer Fluid Temperature Control in a Thermoelectric Solar Power Plant

Lourdes A. Barcia, Rogelio Peon, Juan Díaz, A.M. Pernía and Juan Ángel Martínez
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Lourdes A. Barcia: Normagrup Technology S.A., 33420 Llanera, Asturias, Spain
Rogelio Peon: Grupo TSK PCyT de Gijón, 33203 Gijón, Spain
Juan Díaz: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Oviedo, 33203 Gijón, Asturias, Spain
A.M. Pernía: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Oviedo, 33203 Gijón, Asturias, Spain
Juan Ángel Martínez: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Oviedo, 33203 Gijón, Asturias, Spain

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: Thermoelectric solar plants transform solar energy into electricity. Unlike photovoltaic plants, the sun’s energy heats a fluid (heat transfer fluid (HTF)) and this, in turn, exchanges its energy, generating steam. Finally, the steam generates electricity in a Rankine cycle. One of the main advantages of this double conversion (sun energy to heat in the HTF-Rankine cycle) is the fact that it facilitates energy storage without using batteries. It is possible to store the heat energy in melted salts in such a way that this energy will be recovered when necessary, i.e., during the night. These molten salts are stored in containers in a liquid state at high temperature. The HTF comes into the solar field at a given temperature and increases its energy thanks to the solar collectors. In order to optimize the sun to HTF energy transference, it is necessary to keep an adequate temperature control of the fluid at the output of the solar fields. This paper describes three different algorithms to control the HTF output temperature.

Keywords: thermal power plant; heat transfer fluid (HTF); process modeling; temperature control (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 (3)

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