Optimum Height and Tilt Angle of the Solar Receiver for a 30 kWe Solar Tower Power Plant for the Electricity Production in the Sahelian Zone

Kory Faye,Mactar Faye,Ababacar Thiam,Leonardo Sandrolini

doi:10.1155/2021/1961134

Kory Faye, Mactar Faye + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/1961134

Copy DOI

Abstract

This work investigated the prediction of the optimum height and tilt angle of the solar receiver of a 30 kWe solar tower power plant for the electricity production in the Sahelian zone. Initially, the solar field is sized to determine the total reflecting surface area of the mirrors and the number of heliostats. A PS10-like radially staggered heliostat field is used to design the heliostat layout in the field using a Matlab code. The concentrated solar flux at the input of the receiver was determined using Soltrace software by the Monte Carlo ray tracing (MCRT) method. The sizing results show that the total reflecting surface area is 350 m2 for an optical efficiency of 76.4% and a reference DNI of 600 W/m2. The solar field layout indicates 175 heliostats of 2 m2 surface area and 1.5 m height each. The simulation results show that the optimum height and tilt angle of the solar receiver are 26 m and 65°, respectively.

Highlights

The increasing use of renewable energy sources to reduce the use of fossil fuels is an essential path for the transition to a sustainable energy future with low carbon emissions [1]
The objective of the present study is to determine the optimum height and tilt angle of the solar receiver of a 30 kWe solar tower power plants (STPP) intended for the production of electricity in the Sahelian zone
This data is available for one year, which is acceptable for the concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies

Summary

Introduction

The increasing use of renewable energy sources to reduce the use of fossil fuels is an essential path for the transition to a sustainable energy future with low carbon emissions [1]. Solar energy is considered the most viable renewable energy source in areas with high solar potential [2]. It can be converted into electricity in two different ways: photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies [3]. CSP technology is considered as one of the promising ways for future sustainable electricity production [4]. Among the CSP technologies, solar tower power plants (STPP) present the best performance due to their capacity to provide high temperatures and high efficiency [5]. The STPP technology can be hybridized with other energy sources and have the ability to store heat [6]

Objectives

Results

Conclusion