Thermodynamic analysis the performance of hybrid solar-geothermal power plant equipped with air-cooled condenser

Abstract

Recent decades of industry experiences and previous researches indicate that growth in energy consumption worldwide and limiting fossil fuel reserves will not meet future energy needs. Therefore, utilizing renewable energy sources is essential. Recuperative Organic Rankine cycle is one of the best efficient method for utilizing such resources. The aim of the present study is the thermodynamic analysis of a hybrid solar-geothermal power plant equipped with air-cooled condensers. To simulate a binary geothermal power plant, the ENEL power plant in Churchill County (Nevada, USA) has been considered. Then, the power plant cycle (binary geothermal) has been hybridized with parabolic trough collector systems. The process simulation has been performed by a commercial thermodynamic analysis software, Aspen HYSYS 9.0. The novelty of the present work is that the hybrid solar-geothermal power plant is thermodynamically analyzed in order to design air-cooled condensers which has not been considered by the previous studies. A parametric study of decisive factors in some days of cold and hot months of a year have been studied and analyzed. The investigated factors include ambient temperature, working fluid type, working fluid mass flow rate, and geometrical fluid mass flow rate. The thermal design of air-cooled condensers was performed by HTRI software. According to the obtained results, based on the factors of minimum power consumption of each fan and based on the minimum heat transfer area of condensers, the energy consumption of condensers declined 47.32 and 33.58%, respectively.