A Quasi-Steady State Model of a Solar Parabolic Dish Micro Gas Turbine Demonstration Plant

Michela Lanchi,Valeria Russo,Jafar Al-Zaili,Lukas Aichmayer,Marco Montecchi,Massimo Falchetta

doi:10.3390/en15031059

Abstract

In the framework of the European Optimised Microturbine Solar Power system (OMSoP) project, a novel energy system for solar electricity production was developed, based on the integration of the solar dish technology with Micro Gas Turbines (MGT). A pilot plant with a capacity of 5–7 kWe was realized and installed at the ENEA Casaccia site (Rome) and went under testing to validate the feasibility of the technology and improve the current design. The present work deals with the development of a quasi-state system model, built in the Engineering Equation Solver environment, composed of different modules that correspond to the main system components. The system model was used to define the optimal system parameters, to help the elaboration on an operational strategy to maximize the overall plant efficiency, and to guide the improvement of the single components in view of their optimised design. From the analysis it emerged that the system in design conditions is able to generate, in nominal conditions, 4.5 kWe instead of the expected 5 kWe due to the limitation of the stator current to 13 A, while maximum levels of 5.6 kW could be achieved by “overcharging” the high-speed generator up to 15 A and operating the MGT at the very high speed of 150 krpm. From the transient simulation of the demo system on an annual basis, the maximum average output power is 3.58 kWe. Regarding the cycle efficiency, the annual averaged value is about 17%, whereas the target value is 21%. The improvement of the generator only does not seem to significantly increase the power output on the annual basis (3.75 kWe vs. 3.58 kWe). Differently, the improvement of the solar dish, with the upgrade of the other system components, would significantly increase the system power output to around ~10 kWe.

Highlights

Introduction iationsDue to the increasing global population and growing electricity demand, the development of new sustainable energy technologies has become of crucial importance to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
Power Factor (PF) of injection to the was assumed equal to 1; in this case the results can be different if such PF is lower
The modelling allowed us to determine that the High-Speed Generator (HSG)/Electronic Power Conversion System (EPCS) assembly is able to generate about 5 kWe ; maximum levels of 5.6 kW could be achieved “overcharging” the HSG up to 15 A and operating the Micro Gas Turbines (MGT) at the very high-speed level of 150 krpm

Summary

Introduction

Due to the increasing global population and growing electricity demand, the development of new sustainable energy technologies has become of crucial importance to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology, which uses the heat generated by concentrating and absorbing the sun’s energy to drive a heat engine/generator, can be considered one of the more viable and promising routes for renewable electricity production. CSP technology, through thermal energy storage, can provide a dispatchable electrical output. CSP systems are suitable for balancing the fluctuating output of other renewable technologies [1], which is becoming a crucial issue. The increasing penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar photovoltaics and wind into the production mix

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Conclusion