Solar power plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9899896-B2
Application number	US-201414171099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2014
Priority date	Feb 11, 2013
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A system for cooling a solar power plant is provided. The system has a foundation, a protective housing built on the foundation, and one or more heat sources inside the protective housing. An air inlet can provide a cooling air flow from outside the protective housing to inside the protective housing, and an air outlet can allow an air flow heated by the at least portion of the heat sources to exit the protective housing. An air duct system within the foundation can direct at least part of an incoming air flow to another part in the protective housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar power plant, the solar power plant comprising:
a foundation;
a protective housing on the foundation;
one or more heat sources inside the protective housing;
an air inlet in the protective housing for providing an incoming air flow of cooling air from outside the protective housing to a part inside the protective housing through the air inlet to provide a basic cooling of the solar power plant;
an air duct system within the foundation directing at least part of the incoming air flow from the air inlet in the protective housing to a part inside the protective housing, wherein walls of one or more air ducts of the air duct system passively cool the airflow passing through the air duct system, to provide an additional cooling of the solar power plant, wherein the air duct system provides said additional cooling in response to a de-rating limit of the solar power plant being exceeded;
an air outlet allowing an air flow heated by the one or more heat sources to exit the protective housing;
a room within the protective housing, and one or more of the heat sources in the room;
wherein the air inlet provides the incoming air flow to at least part of the room for cooling at least a portion of the one or more heat sources;
wherein the air duct system directs at least part of the incoming air flow to another part inside the protective housing; and
an air outlet allows an air flow heated by the one or more heat sources to exit from the room to outside the protective housing;
wherein the air duct system directs at least part of the incoming air flow to another room within the protective housing.

2. A solar power plant according to claim 1 , comprising:
a cooling unit actively cooling the airflow passing through the air duct system.

3. A solar power plant according to claim 1 , wherein the air duct system directs at least part of the incoming air flow to cool another portion of the one or more heat sources.

4. A solar power plant according to claim 1 , comprising:
a fan controlling the air flow through the air duct system.

5. A method for cooling a solar power plant, the solar power plant having a foundation, a protective housing on the foundation, one or more heat sources inside the protective housing, the protective housing includes a room, and one or more of the heat sources in the room, the method comprising:
providing an incoming air flow of cooling air from outside the protective housing to a part inside the protective housing, wherein the incoming air flow is provided via an air inlet in the protective housing, to provide a basic cooling of the solar power plant;
directing at least part of the incoming air flow from the air inlet in the protective housing to a part inside the protective housing via an air duct system within the foundation, wherein walls of one or more air ducts of the air duct system passively cool the airflow passing through the air duct system, to provide an additional cooling of the solar power plant, wherein said additional cooling is provided in response to a de-rating limit of the solar power plant being exceeded;
allowing an air flow heated by the heat sources to exit the protective housing via an air outlet;
providing the incoming air flow to at least part of the room for cooling at least part of the one or more heat sources via the air inlet;
directing at least part of the incoming air flow to another part inside the protective housing via the air duct system;
allowing an air flow heated by the one or more heat sources to exit from the room to outside the protective housing via an air outlet;
directing at least part of the incoming air flow to cool another portion of the one or more heat sources via the air duct system; and
directing at least part of the incoming air flow to another room within the protective housing via the air duct system.

6. A solar power plant according to claim 1 , comprising:
a heat exchanger within the air duct system.

7. A method for cooling a solar power plant, the solar power plant having a foundation, a protective housing on the foundation, and one or more heat sources inside the protective housing, the method comprising:
providing an incoming air flow of cooling air from outside the protective housing to a part inside the protective housing, wherein the incoming air flow is provided via an air inlet in the protective housing, to provide a basic cooling of the solar power plant;
directing at least part of the incoming air flow from the air inlet in the protective housing to a part inside the protective housing via an air duct system within the foundation, wherein walls of one or more air ducts of the air duct system passively cool the airflow passing through the air duct system, to provide an additional cooling of the solar power plant, wherein said additional cooling is provided in response to a de-rating limit of the solar power plant being exceeded; and
allowing an air flow heated by the heat sources to exit the protective housing via an air outlet.

8. A method for cooling a solar power plant according to claim 7 , comprising:
actively cooling the airflow passing through the air duct system.

9. A method for cooling a solar power plant according to claim 7 , comprising:
controlling the air flow through the air duct system using a fan.

10. A method for cooling a solar power plant according to claim 7 , comprising:
filtering the air flow within the air duct system using an air filter.

11. A method for solar power plant according to claim 7 , comprising:
cooling the air flow with a heat exchanger within the air duct system.

12. A cooling arrangement of a solar power plant, the solar power plant comprising:
a foundation;
a protective housing on the foundation;
one or more heat sources inside the protective housing;
an air inlet in the protective housing for providing an incoming air flow of cooling air from outside the protective housing to a part inside the protective housing to provide a basic cooling of the solar power plant;
an air outlet allowing an air flow heated by the one or more heat sources to exit the protective housing;
a room within the protective housing, and one or more of the heat sources in the room;
wherein the air inlet provides the incoming air flow to at least part of the room for cooling at least a portion of the one or more heat sources; and
an air outlet allows an air flow heated by the one or more heat sources to exit from the room to outside the protective housing;
wherein the cooling arrangement comprises
an air duct system within the foundation directing at least part of the incoming air flow from the air inlet in the protective housing to a part inside the protective housing, wherein walls of one or more air ducts of the air duct system passively cool the airflow passing through the air duct system, to provide an additional cooling of the solar power plant, wherein the air duct system provides said additional cooling in response to a de-rating limit of the solar power plant being exceeded;
wherein the air duct system directs at least part of the incoming air flow to another part inside the protective housing.

13. A solar power plant according to claim 1 , wherein the foundation is at least partially embedded to ground.

14. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the foundation is at least partially embedded to ground.

15. A cooling arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the foundation is at least partially embedded to ground.

Assignees

• Abb Oy

Inventors

• Hyttinen Jarkko

Classifications

• Y02E10/46

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

• H02K9/08 Primary

  by gaseous cooling medium circulating wholly within the machine casing (H02K9/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F03G6/00

  Devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy (solar boilers F24) · CPC title

• F03G6/02 Primary

  using a single state working fluid · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title