Efficient model for solar steam generation

Abstract

In this research, an advanced hybrid steam generation system using solar energy was designed, with higher performance and lower cost compared to other systems and researches. It's an ideal system where fossil fuels are still plentiful. The selected system units with the innovative automatic control allows the absorption of all levels of solar radiation and its exploitation in steam generation. The boiler is a classic fire tube one and the solar collector is a modified linear parabolic collector that tracks the sun in one of three tracking modes. A proper Matlab program has been prepared to determine and demonstrate the performance of the system and the optimal characteristic values of the collector that provide the maximum seasonal solar fraction of the plant. It was found that the average monthly daily solar fraction of the plant in Antalya, Mediterranean region, is 0.85 in June and 0.28 in January with the collector optimal characteristics and east-west tracking within 12 hours stable daily steam generation. It is demonstrated that the deviation in an optimum characteristic value of the collector causes a reduction in solar fraction. This study forms the basis for a similar plant construction project to test it in practice under real climatic conditions.