Abstract
The sun is equivalent to a 5800 K thermal reservoir. If we should be capable to concentrate the sun light on the earth, close to the thermodynamic limit and to use its power almost without losses, we should obtain the most powerful thermal engine with a fantastic efficiency of more than 90%. Unfortunately this seems to be impossible and we must be content with much less. Only a minute process of optimization of all the system components that take the solar energy and transform it in a transportable energy form (i.e. electricity) will increase the actual (rather) low efficiency and will transform it in a competitive efficiency comparative with the non-renewable energy process efficiencies. The central solar energy systems seem to be unique qualified of efficiently producing of high temperatures capable to achieve high thermodynamic efficiencies and therefore the future looks to be more promising for the central receiver (or solar tower) concept. This work is dedicated to an attempt to optimize a central solar energy system from the thermodynamical and optical points of view.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Segal A. and Epstein M. (1997) Comparative performances of Tower-Top and Tower-Reflector central solar receivers, submitted to Solar Energy
Segal A., Epstein M. (1998) The reflective tower as an option for high temperature central receivers, Solar Thermal Concentrating Technologies, Proc. of the 9th Intn’l Symposium, Odeillo-Font-Romeu, France
Fletcher E and Moen R.L (1977) Hydrogen and oxygen from water-The use of solar energy in one-step effusional process is considered, Science 197, 1050–1056
Segal A. and Epstein M. (1997) Modeling of solar receiver for cracking of liquid petroleum gas, J. of Solar Energy Engineering 119, 48–51
Lipps F.W. and Vant-Hull L.L. (1978) A cellwise method for the optimization of large central receiver systems, Solar Energy 20, 505–516
Collado F.J. and Turegano J.A. (1989) Calculation of the annual thermal energy supplied by a defined heliostat field, Solar Energy 42, 149–165
Elsayed M. and Fathalah K.A. (1996) Solar flux-density distribution due to partially shaded̸blocked mirrors using the separation of variables superposition technique with polynomial and Gaussian Sunshapes, J. of Solar Energy Engineering 118, 107–114
Segal A. and Epstein M. (1996) A model for optimization of a heliostat field layout, in M. Becker and M. Böhmer (eds.), Solar Thermal Concentrating Technologies, Proc. of the 8th Int’ Symposium, Köln, 2, 989–998
Segal A. (1996) WISDOM-Weizmann Institute Solar Dedicated cOmprehensive Mastercode in Campbell-Howe R. and Wilkins-Crowder B. (eds.) The Proceedings of Solar’96, The 1996 American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference., Asheville, NC, 308–313
Kistler B.L. (1986) A user’s manual for DELSOL3: A computer code for calculating the optical performance and optimal system design for solar thermal central receiver plants, Sandia National Laboratories, SAND86-8018, Albuquerque, NM
Winter C. J., Sizmann R.L. and Vant-Hull L.L. (Eds.) (1991) Solar Power Plants:Fundamentals, Technology, Systems, Economics, Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Welford W.T. and Winston R. (1989) High Collection Nonimaging Optics, Ch. 4, Academic Press, San Diego
Bejan A., (1995) Convection Heat Transfer, Ch. 5, 2nd Ed., Wiley, New York
Horlock J.H. (1992) Combined Power Plants. Including Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Plants, Pergamon Press, Oxford
Fraidenraich N., Gordon J.M., and Tiba C. (1992) Optimization of a gas-turbine combined cycles for solar energy and alternative-fuel power generation, Solar Energy 48, 301–307
Kami J., Kribus A., Doron P., Rubin R., Fiterman A. and Sagie D. (1997) The DIAPR-a High-Pressure, High-Temperature Solar Receiver, J. of Solar Energy Engineering 119, 74–78
Bejan A. (1996) Method of entropy generation minimization, or modeling and optimization based on combined heat transfer and thermodynamics, Rev. Gén. Therm. 35, 637–646
Ries H., Kribus A. and Kami J. (1995) Nonisothermal Receivers, J. of Solar Energy Engineering 117, 259–261
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Segal, A. (1999). Thermodynamic Approach to the Optimization of Central Solar Energy Systems. In: Bejan, A., Mamut, E. (eds) Thermodynamic Optimization of Complex Energy Systems. NATO Science Series, vol 69. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4685-2_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4685-2_24
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-5726-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4685-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive