Solar collector plant with thermal storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047729-B2
Application number	US-201414777929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2014
Priority date	Mar 20, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A concentrating solar power collector plant is provided in which a pressurized solar power receiver with an associated gas turbine and a low-pressure solar power receiver are used together with a common thermal energy storage system. Exhaust from the gas turbine is connected to the thermal energy storage system to deliver residual heat to the thermal energy storage system in addition to that received from the low-pressure solar power receiver. The pressurized solar power receiver may be a separate unit from the low-pressure receiver and at least some heliostats are controlled to redirect reflected solar energy from one solar power receiver to the other. The pressurized solar power receiver may alternatively be combined with the low-pressure receiver in a single unit having a heat receiving part of a high-pressure receiver and a flow passage for heating air between an inlet and an outlet to form the low pressure receiver.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A concentrating solar power collector plant comprising a heliostat field for directing reflected solar radiation towards a pressurized solar power receiver having an associated gas turbine and to a low-pressure solar power receiver having an associated unpressurized thermal energy storage system in the form of a stationary packed bed of suitable heat resistant thermal storage units charged by heated air, wherein exhaust from the gas turbine is connected to the thermal energy storage system to deliver residual heat to the thermal energy storage system in addition to heat received from the low-pressure solar power receiver; wherein at least some heliostats of the heliostat field are connected to a controller programmed to direct excess reflected solar energy at high irradiation intensities away from the pressurized solar power receiver and towards the low-pressure solar power receiver at times when said reflected solar energy is not required to maintain the gas turbine at load.

2. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 1 in which solar power in excess of that required to maintain the gas turbine at close to optimal load is directed to the low-pressure solar power receiver for thermal storage or, alternatively, for immediate use in a Rankine cycle electricity generating facility.

3. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 1 in which an outlet from the pressurized solar power receiver is fed through a further solar power receiver in order to further heat compressed gas emanating from the pressurized solar power receiver.

4. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 1 in which the gas turbine is coupled to an electrical generator and a compressor for supplying pressurized gas to the pressurized solar power receiver.

5. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 1 in which the pressurized gas is air.

6. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 1 in which a combustion chamber is interposed between the outlet from the pressurized solar power receiver and the inlet to the gas turbine.

7. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 1 in which the pressurized solar power receiver is of the tubular type.

8. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 1 in which the thermal energy storage system forms part of a Rankine cycle electricity generating installation.

9. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 8 in which residual heat in air leaving the Rankine cycle is recovered by recycling the air to a suitable inlet to the low-pressure receiver.

10. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 8 in which an ambient air mixing valve is provided to connect the input of hot air from the low-pressure receiver and from the exhaust of the gas turbine to at least one of the thermal energy storage system and the Rankine cycle.

11. A concentrating solar power collector plant as claimed in claim 10 in which the ambient air mixing valve connects the thermal energy storage system to the Rankine cycle during discharge of the storage system.

Assignees

• Univ Stellenbosch

Inventors

• Heller Lukas

Classifications

• F01K3/12 Primary

  having two or more accumulators · CPC title

• F22B1/006

  using solar heat · CPC title

• Y02E10/46

  Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines · CPC title

• F03G6/064 Primary

  having a gas turbine cycle, i.e. compressor and gas turbine combination · CPC title

• F03G6/071

  with energy storage devices · CPC title