Techno-economic analysis of a combined concentrated solar power and water desalination plant

scarcity. Underground water is mostly saline and other sources are small seasonal rivers and dams that collect rain water for sprawling population. Desalination plants can alleviate this problem to an extent. This paper examines various desalination plants, provides detailed technical discussion of Passive Vacuum Flash Type Solar Thermal technology and compares it with Concentrating Solar Desalination technology. Comprehensive levelised cost of water calculations are laid out for conventional Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant, Photovoltaic (PV) RO plant, conventional thermal Multi Effect Desalination (MED) plant and solar thermal MED plant. PVRO with cost of PKR 0.39 per gallon is the most suitable option.

Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants with parabolic trough collector (PTC) using thermal oil as heat transfer fluid (HTF) and conventional steam Rankine cycle (SRC) as power generating cycle is the most commercially developed technology. Direct steam generating linear Fresnel reflector (LFR) systems are developed as a cheaper alternative to PTC systems. The major drawbacks of LFR systems are low optical efficiency and production of saturated steam. These result in higher solar field area requirement compared to PTC based plants of same capacity. Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) based power block, with dry working fluids, offers higher cycle efficiency as well as improved part-load turbine efficiency compared to SRC in modular scale plants with heat sources up to 400 °C. ORC is more suitable to LFR based CSP plants. In this paper, thermo-economic analysis of PTC and LFR based CSP plants with ORC has been presented. An approximate selection methodology, for LFR and PTC based CSP plants, is proposed and the selection diagram generated using the proposed methodology can be used for LFR and PTC based CSP plants with any working fluid of Rankine cycle. The applicability of the selection diagram is demonstrated using case studies of n-Pentane, Octamethyltrisiloxane (OMTS) and water working fluids based plants. Selection diagram captures the variations of power generating cycle efficiency, and costs of collector fields.

A concentrating solar power (CSP) plant with parabolic trough collector (PTC) using thermal oil as heat transfer fluid (HTF) is the most commercially established technology. On the other hand, linear Fresnel reflectors (LFRs) with direct steam generation (DSG) are developed and proposed as cheaper alternative to PTC systems. The optical efficiency of LFR systems is lower than that of PTC systems. Also low-cost LFR systems produce saturated steam, resulting in higher aperture area requirement compared to PTC-based CSP plants of the same capacity. In this paper, integration of parabolic trough and linear Fresnel collectors for an optimum design of a CSP plant is proposed. The integrated CSP plant configuration combines the advantages of conventional HTF-based PTC fields and DSG of LFR fields. Thermo-economic comparisons between PTC-based, LFR-based and integrated CSP plant configurations, without hybridization and storage, are presented in this paper. An approximate, but simple selection methodology for these configurations, based on the values of relative collector field costs per unit of energy gain and relative isentropic efficiency of turbines, is also proposed to generate selection diagram. This diagram helps in selecting optimum configuration for the CSP plant. The applicability of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through an illustrative case study. Detailed simulations are advisable in case of design point close to separation lines between different regions in the selection diagram.

Prospective fully-coupled multi-level analytical methodology for concentrated solar power plants: General modelling

Assessment of different configurations for combined parabolic-trough (PT) solar power and desalination plants in arid regions

An integrated system for producing electricity and fresh water from a new gas-fired power plant and a concentrated solar power plant – Case study – (Australia, Spain, South Korea, Iran)

This chapter deals with the combined fresh water and power production by concentrating solar power (CSP) and desalination plants (CSP + D). First, the cogeneration of electricity and desalinated water from conventional power plants is described to provide a better understanding of the integration processes. Later in the chapter, the CSP plant technologies available are described, focusing particularly on parabolic-trough collectors. Finally, the latest studies related to CSP + D plants and the existing refrigeration systems within CSP plants are expounded.

This paper aims to conduct modeling and simulation of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plant in Ber’Alganam area (Azzawia-Libya). The thermal analysis of the solar power plant was carried out to identify its characteristics and present the monthly power curves according to measured solar radiation and meteorological data of Ber’Alganam (Azzawia-Libya). The mathematical model of the plant was based on energy balance of each component used to develop the simulation tool using Matlab software. The simulation tool can be used to simulate the solar plant and achieve desired plots and results. Among many techniques used in the field of solar power generation, the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology using Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) or (PT) has been selected. As a sample case, a 30 MW CSP plant was proposed to present the hourly performance and productivity through entire year. The study offered a description of two more technologies; thermal energy storage (TES) and backup boiler in order to enhance and stabilize the CSP plant and the continuous production throughout daytime and estimate the amount of fuel needed for this issue, the results shows, the annual power output by both solar source, TES system, and the backup boiler are 91513, 318.36, and 4690.45 MWh/year, respectively, with respect the solar multiplier is 1.5. The study also concerned with the amount of emissions avoided by using CSP plants, the study estimated that, 18516.4 tons of emissions could be annually avoided by CSP plant rather than conventional plant that uses a natural gas as the energy source. The results demonstrate that, the Ber’Alganam is a good location to construct CSP plants, according to the productivity indicators.

This paper aims to conduct modeling and simulation of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plant in Ber’Alganam area (Azzawia-Libya). The thermal analysis of the solar power plant was carried out to identify its characteristics and present the monthly power curves according to measured solar radiation and meteorological data of Ber’Alganam (Azzawia-Libya). The mathematical model of the plant was based on energy balance of each component used to develop the simulation tool using Matlab software. The simulation tool can be used to simulate the solar plant and achieve desired plots and results. Among many techniques used in the field of solar power generation, the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology using Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) or (PT) has been selected. As a sample case, a 30 MW CSP plant was proposed to present the hourly performance and productivity through entire year. The study offered a description of two more technologies; thermal energy storage (TES) and backup boiler in order to enhance and stabilize the CSP plant and the continuous production throughout daytime and estimate the amount of fuel needed for this issue, the results shows, the annual power output by both solar source, TES system, and the backup boiler are 91513, 318.36, and 4690.45 MWh/year, respectively, with respect the solar multiplier is 1.5. The study also concerned with the amount of emissions avoided by using CSP plants, the study estimated that, 18516.4 tons of emissions could be annually avoided by CSP plant rather than conventional plant that uses a natural gas as the energy source. The results demonstrate that, the Ber’Alganam is a good location to construct CSP plants, according to the productivity indicators.

This paper aims to conduct modeling and simulation of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plant in Ber’Alganam area (Azzawia-Libya). Th thermal analysis of the solar power plant was carried out to identify its characteristics and present the monthly power curves according to measured solar radiation and meteorological data of Ber’Alganam (Azzawia-Libya). Th mathematical model of the plant was based on energy balance of each component used to develop the simulation tool using Matlab softare. Th simulationtool can be used to simulate the solar plant and achieve desired plots and results. Among many techniques used in the fild of solar power generation, the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology using Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) or (PT) has been selected. As a sample case, a 30 MW CSP plant was proposed to present the hourly performance and productivity through entire year. The study offred a description of two more technologies; thermal energy storage (TES) and backup boiler in order to enhance and stabilize the CSP plant and the continuous production throughout daytime and estimate the amount of fuel needed for thisissue, the results shows, the annual power output by both solar source, TES system, and the backup boiler are 91513, 318.36, and 4690.45 MWh/year, respectively, with respect the solar multiplier is 1.5. The study also concerned with the amount of emissions avoided by using CSP plants, the study estimated that, 18516.4 tons of emissions could be annually avoided by CSP plant rather than conventional plant that uses a natural gas as the energy source. Th results demonstrate that, the Ber’Alganam is a good location to construct CSP plants, according to the productivity indicators.

Ths paper aims to conduct modeling and simulation of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plant in Ber’Alganam area (Azzawia-Libya). Th thermal analysis of the solar power plant was carried out to identify its characteristics and present the monthly power curves according to measured solar radiation and meteorological data of Ber’Alganam (Azzawia-Libya). Th mathematical model of the plant was based on energy balance of each component used to develop the simulation tool using Matlab softare. Th simulation tool can be used to simulate the solar plant and achieve desired plots and results. Among many techniques used in the fild of solar power generation, the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology using Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) or (PT) has been selected. As a sample case, a 30 MW CSP plant was proposed to present the hourly performance and productivity through entire year. Th study offred a description of two more technologies; thermal energy storage (TES) and backup boiler in order to enhance and stabilize the CSP plant and the continuous production throughout daytime and estimate the amount of fuel needed for this issue, the results shows, the annual power output by both solar source, TES system, and the backup boiler are 91513, 318.36, and 4690.45 MWh/year, respectively, with respect the solar multiplier is 1.5. The study also concerned with the amount of emissions avoided by using CSP plants, the study estimated that, 18516.4 tons of emissions could be annually avoided by CSP plant rather than conventional plant that uses a natural gas as the energy source. Th results demonstrate that, the Ber’Alganam is a good location to construct CSP plants,according to the productivity indicators.

This chapter addresses the description and thermodynamic analysis for the integration of desalination plants into the power cycle described in Chap. 4. The systems chosen for this study combine a Concentrating Solar Power plant using parabolic-trough collector technology for electricity generation with various desalination plants, giving rise to what is known as a parabolic-trough concentrating solar power and desalination (PT-CSP + D) plant. The description of the PT-CSP plant, based on the Andasol-1 (Blanco-Marigorta et al., 2011) commercial plant, is detailed in Chap. 4, showing all the model equations. The desalination technologies selected to combine with the PT-CSP plant were multi-effect distillation (MED) and reverse osmosis (RO), as discussed in Chap. 1. On one hand, the simultaneous production of water and electricity using an RO plant connected to a CSP plant seems the simpler option. On the other hand, the integration of a low-temperature MED (LT-MED) plant is an interesting alternative because it allows replacement of the conventional power-cycle condenser by using exhaust steam as the thermal energy source for the desalination plant. However, to satisfy demand, while providing a certain performance, the LT-MED plant inlet temperature should be around 70 °C (corresponding to 0.031 bar absolute), meaning that the steam does not completely expand through the turbine and therefore the power-cycle efficiency is low compared with a stand-alone electricity-generating plant. This is the reason why another alternative to the MED plant, MED with thermal vapour compression (TVC), is considered. In this case, the steam expands completely in the turbine until it reaches the permitted value for the condenser conditions. However, part of the steam circulating through the turbine is extracted and used as high-pressure steam; this, together with the low-pressure steam coming from one of the MED effects, generates the inlet steam required in the first stage of the desalination plant. Moreover, in this study, a new concept of CSP + MED plants is evaluated (which, until now, has not been studied in published works), a thermally fed LT-MED plant with steam coming from a thermocompressor (LT-MED + TVC). In this case, the low-pressure steam (the entrained vapour) used by the thermocompressor comes from the exhaust steam of a PT-CSP plant instead of one of the MED effects. In each of the systems studied, desalinated water production is evaluated as well as the power and efficiency of the dual thermal solar power and desalinated water cycle.

Performance assessment and optimization of concentrated solar power plants with paired metal hydride-based thermochemical energy storage

Optimal energy collection with rotational movement constraints in concentrated solar power plants

Design of a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) dehydrogenation system integrated with the concentrated solar power (CSP) plant