Abstract
In the solar tower concept, a multiplicity of mass produced heliostats reflect sunlight to a an elevated central receiver where it is absorbed as heat and transported to the ground. This paper presents the results of an NSF/RANN funded study of the technical and economic feasibility of this approach for powering a 10–500 MW electrical generator. A computer model of the collector system is described and results illustrative of the high performance of the system are presented. Detailed heliostat design studies have shown a silvered float glass mirror supported on a welded steel grid and guided in elevation and azimuth by a receiver oriented optical sensor and feedback circuit can be mass produced economically. Conceptual designs of the tower and receiver show them to be a minor cost component. With careful attention to thermal cycle fatigue, the receiver will present only a minor technical risk. The cost of electricity in the intermediate load range is competitive with the upper range of fossil fuel costs.
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