Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

and beyond!

Concentrated Solar Power:

to

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

OverviewJeff• Solar-thermal basics• The new Big Dish! **Now Even Bigger!**• Some research

Rebecca• Solar-thermal power in Las Vegas• Ammonia storage• Some more research

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Concentrated Solar Power – The Basics

•Parabolic-shaped mirror

•Receiver at focal point

•Solar Radiation heats fluid medium or drives chemical reaction

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Why Solar Thermal?

• Solar Thermal arrays as ‘baseload’ power stations

• Transition to renewables via add-on to existing plants

• Large-scale energy storage!

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

The old dish looks like this

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Sorry, commercial in confidence ☻

The new dish looks like

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Some clues…Some clues…• Its bigger (from 400m2 to 500m2)

• Square mirrors rule

• Joining frames like this is bloody expensive

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

The siteThe site

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

The site last weekThe site last week

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

1st big Dish demonstration power system planned for Whyalla, South Australia

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Some Research Directions

• Videographic Flux Mapping• Raytracing• Receiver modelling• Transient Simulations

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Gig

awat

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Power Output

Average Solar Radiation/month

Linear (Average SolarRadiation/month)Linear (Power Output)

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Concentrated Solar Power in Vegas!

• Nevada Solar One – 64 MW• Typical coal power station ~ 2000 MW• Home photovoltaic array ~ 2 kW

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Back to storage

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

• Molten salt• Hot oil• Superheated steam

concentrator storage24 hour electricity

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Ammonia storage

ammonia (liquid)

heat nitrogen (gas)

hydrogen(gas)

700oC500oC

Ruthenium catalyst3 2 22 3NH H N H

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Little Dish

20m2 (Big Dish 400m2)

Ammonia thermochemistry

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Rim angle = 70o

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Solar Thermal GroupDepartment Of Engineering

Questions?

Solar Power station to provide all of Australia’s energy needs ?

Legend

     greater than 24MJ/m2day

     less than 24 but greater than 23mJ/m2day

     less than 23 but greater than 22mJ/m2day

     less than 22 but greater than 20mJ/m2day

     less than 20 but greater than 18mJ/m2day

     less than 18 but greater than 16mJ/m2day

     less than 16MJ/m2day

Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society

Land Area for a Solar Future

• Assume:

5000Wh/m2/day average insolation

5000PJ = 5x1018J required per year

Conversion of solar energy at 20% efficiency

• 5000Wh/m2/day x 365days x 0.2 = 1314MJ/m2/year• (5 x 1018J/year)/(1.314 x 109J/m2 /year) = 3.81 x 109m2

=3805km2 = 61.7km x 61.7km• Allowing for spacing between collectors:

@ 10% coverage; 38052km2 = 195km x 195km

@ 20% coverage; 19026km2 = 138km x 138km