Performance analysis of a solar power tower plant integrated with trough collectors

Abstract

The heliostat field efficiency is essential for solar power tower (SPT) plants. However, the heliostat field efficiency decreases rapidly with increasing capacity of the SPT plants, limiting the development of large-scale SPT plants. This study developed a system that couples trough collectors with an individual SPT plant, including a mid-temperature tank and solar-aided feedwater heating system. The suggested concentrating area ratio of heliostats to parabolic-trough mirrors ranges from 2.1 to 2.4. Both the area ratio and mid-temperature tank capacity were optimized by considering the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The optical efficiency and electricity generation values of the 100-MW integrated system were higher than those of an individual SPT plant (3.19% and 5.92%, respectively). Electricity generation increased significantly with decreasing latitude, and the LCOE decreased slowly with the increasing capacity. This study contributes to the large-scale use of SPT plants.