Abstract
During the calendar year of 2012 the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in conjunction with CLECO Power LLC (CLECO) has constructed and commissioned a pilot scale parabolic trough solar thermal power plant for the first time in Louisiana. The large aperture trough (LAT) solar collectors were provided by Gossamer Space Frames and are coupled with an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power block provided by ElectraTherm, Inc. for study of the feasibility of cost-effective commercial scale solar thermal power production in Louisiana. Supported by CLECO and providing power to the existing CLECO grid, the implementation of state-of-the-industry collector frames, mirrors, trackers, and ORC power block is studied under various local weather conditions which present varied operating regimes from existing solar thermal installations. The solar collectors provide a design output of 650 kWth and preliminary actual performance data from the system level is presented. The optimal size, configuration and location for such a plant in the given solar resource region are being studied in conjunction with CLECO’s search for optimal renewable energy solutions for the region. The pilot scale size of the facility and implementation of the simpler ORC allow remote operation of the facility and flexibility in operating parameters for optimization studies. The construction of the facility was supported by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Department of Energy, and CLECO. The continued operation of the plant is supported by CLECO Power LLC and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Highlights
The need for a diversified energy portfolio for stationary power generation is widely accepted, and solar energy is projected to provide a significant basis for this continued diversification during the coming decades [1]
The large aperture trough (LAT) solar collectors were provided by Gossamer Space Frames and are coupled with an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power block provided by ElectraTherm, Inc. for study of the feasibility of cost-effective commercial scale solar thermal power production in Louisiana
While significant solar resource exists in the southwest continental United States (US), much of the country is covered by a band of moderate solar resource (4.0 - 6.0 kWh/m2/day); it is in this band that the US state of Louisiana resides
Summary
The need for a diversified energy portfolio for stationary power generation is widely accepted, and solar energy is projected to provide a significant basis for this continued diversification during the coming decades [1]. There are very few, commercial or pilot scale installations in areas of moderate solar resource and none in Louisiana [3]. The introduction of a pilot scale parabolic trough solar thermal power plant in Louisiana will allow the local demonstration of several key technical components of solar power as well as further the field as a whole with the development and validation of analytical models for further planning and innovation. A pilot scale facility would permit low-cost testing of various component technologies including concentrating solar collectors, thermal storage, and power blocks. Flexibility in operational and testing configurations, including remote monitoring capabilities, would provide the opportunity for generating the necessary data for development and validation of full scale analytical models and feasibility studies for the region
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