Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to present and analyze an innovative configuration of integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC). As novelties, the plant includes a recuperative gas turbine and the conventional bottoming Rankine cycle is replaced by a recently developed double recuperative double expansion (DRDE) cycle. The configuration results in a fuel saving in the combustion chamber at the expense of a decreased exhaust gas temperature, which is just adequate to feed the DRDE cycle that uses propane as the working fluid. The solar contribution comes from a solar field of parabolic trough collectors, with oil as the heat transfer fluid. The optimum integration point for the solar contribution is addressed. The performance of the proposed ISCC-R-DRDE design conditions and off-design operation was assessed (daily and yearly) at two different locations. All results were compared to those obtained under the same conditions by a conventional ISCC, as well as similar configurations without solar integration. The proposed configuration obtains a lower heat rate on a yearly basis in the studied locations and lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE) than that of the ISCC, which indicates that such a configuration could become a promising technology.
Highlights
In the medium and long term, concentrating solar power (CSP) plants are going to be installed within grids that already include electricity generation by conventional thermal power plants
The technology is based on the use of parabolic trough collectors (PTC) that heat up a heat transfer fluid (HTF), which is usually a thermal oil
Solar energy contributes to increased steam production in a conventional combined cycle (CC) based on a gas turbine (GT) and a steam cycle coupled through a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG)
Summary
In the medium and long term, concentrating solar power (CSP) plants are going to be installed within grids that already include electricity generation by conventional thermal power plants. In this scenario, the implementation of integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) plants leads to a rational and synergistic use of solar and fossil fuel resources. Interest in ISCC has increased, and several aspects have been studied such as how to integrate the solar contribution into the combined cycle [3,4,5] or which technology is the best for collecting solar energy [6,7] In most of these cases, the conceptual layout of the ISCC is preserved
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