Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy: Fundamentals and Applications

Description

The Sun, our star, has inspired the research of many scientists and engineers and brings hope to many of us for a paradigm shift in energy. Indeed, the applications of solar energy are manifold, primarily because it concerns both light and heat. Photovoltaic (PV) conversion is the most well-known among these, but other modes of conversion include photochemical, photobiological, photoelectrochemical, thermal and thermochemical. This book covers the entire chain of conversion from the Sun to the targeted energy vector (heat, electricity, gaseous or liquid fuels). Beginning with the state of the art, subsequent chapters address solar resources, concentration and capture technologies, the science of flows and transfers in solar receivers, materials with controlled optical properties, thermal storage, hybrid systems (PV-thermal) and synthetic fuels (hydrogen and synthetic gas). Written by a number of experts in the field, Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy provides an insightful overview of the current landscape of the knowledge regarding the most recent applications of concentrating technologies. Cover Half-Title Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Introduction Why a book on concentrated solar power? Chapter 1. Solar Power Plants: State of the Art 1.1. Introduction 1.2. History 1.3. Various configurations of solar power plants 1.4. Paradigm of solar power plants, optimum temperature – concentration factor 1.5. Parabolic trough solar power plants 1.6. Solar power plants with linear Fresnel concentrators 1.7. Tower power plants 1.8. Dish–Stirling modules 1.9. Perspectives: deployment, capacity factor, costs, environmental impact and new concepts 1.9.1. Commercial deployment 1.9.2. Capacity factor 1.9.3. Cost of electricity 1.9.4. Environmental impact 1.9.5. Technological evolutions and new generations (GEN3) 1.10. Conclusion 1.11. References Chapter 2. Solar Resource Management, Assessment and Forecasting 2.1. Measurement and assessment of the solar resource 2.1.1. Earth–Sun pair 2.1.2. Extra-terrestrial solar irradiance 2.1.3. Solar irradiance interaction with the atmosphere 2.1.4. Components of solar irradiance and associated instruments 2.2. Forecasting of direct normal irradiance 2.2.1. Definitions and needs of an operator of CSP plant 2.2.2. The main DNI forecasting techniques 2.2.3. Intra-hour DNI forecasting models 2.3. Conclusion 2.4. Nomenclature 2.5. References Chapter 3. Optics of Concentrating Systems 3.1. Introduction 3.2. History 3.2.1. From Archimedes to 19th century 3.2.2. 1950–1980: First industrial installations 3.3. Performances and limitations 3.3.1. Specification of a solar concentrator 3.3.2. Collected power 3.3.3. Three definitions of concentration 3.3.4. Maximal concentration – Stefan’s law 3.3.5. Solar concentrator-specific errors 3.3.6. Concentration losses and the “golden rule” of solar concentration 3.4. Optical qualification of parabolic trough concentrators 3.4.1. Definitions 3.4.2. Methodology 3.4.3. Example 3.5. The heliostat fields of tower power plants 3.5.1. Description 3.5.2. Optical losses 3.5.4. Simulations of heliostat fields 3.6. Conclusion 3.7. References Chapter 4. Solar Receivers 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Absorber tubes for linear concentrators 4.2.1. Description 4.2.2. Thermal losses 4.3. Solar receivers for tower power plants 4.3.1. Description 4.3.2. Receivers in the commercial tower power plants 4.3.3. Emerging designs 4.3.4. Thermal losses 4.3.5. Thermal model of solar receivers 4.4. Conclusion 4.5. References Chapter 5. Heat Transfer Fluids for Solar Power Plants 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Review of thermal transfer physics 5.3. Fluids, stability and properties 5.3.1. Thermal stability of heat transfer fluids 5.3.2. Physical properties of heat transfer fluids 5.4. Fluid–wall heat transfer coefficients 5.4.1. Flow conditions 5.4.2. Correlations 5.4.3. Heat transfer coefficients 5.5. Solutions being developed 5.5.1. Reduction of the melting temperature of salts 5.5.2. Increase of the maximum working temperature 5.6. Conclusion 5.7. References Chapter 6. Numerical Simulations of Flows and Heat Transfers of Solar Receivers 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Modeling approaches 6.2.1. Direct numerical simulation 6.2.2. Thermal large-eddy simulation 6.2.3. RANS (Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations) 6.2.4. Correlations 6.3. Direct numerical simulation and thermal large-eddy simulation 6.3.1. Geometry 6.3.2. Direct numerical simulation equations 6.3.3. DNS results 6.3.4. Equations of the thermal large-eddy simulation 6.3.5. LES results 6.4. Dynamic and thermal couplings – physical approach 6.4.1. Analysis of integral quantities 6.4.2. Analysis in the spatial domain 6.4.3. Analysis in the spectral domain 6.5. Conclusion 6.6. References Chapter 7. Materials for Concentrated Solar Power 7.1. Introduction 7.2. Optical properties of materials 7.2.1. Spectral properties 7.2.2. Solar performance 7.3. Reflective components: solar mirrors 7.3.1. Optical performance indicator: solar reflectance 7.3.2. Materials and structures of solar mirrors 7.3.3. Aging and durability of solar mirrors 7.4. Transparent components: protective glass 7.4.1. Optical performance indicator: solar transmittance 7.4.2. Materials and structures of protective glass 7.4.3. Aging and durability of antireflective glasses 7.5. Absorbing components: solar absorbers 7.5.1. Optical performance indicators for solar absorbers 7.5.2. Materials and structures of solar absorbers 7.5.3. Aging and durability of solar absorbers 7.6. Conclusion 7.7. References Chapter 8. Thermal Energy Storage 8.1. Introduction 8.1.1. Advantages related to thermal energy storage 8.1.2. An overview of thermal energy storage 8.1.3. Integration of storage in the solar power plant dimensioning 8.2. Two-tank molten salt storage 8.2.1. Examples of existing power plants 8.2.2. Operating principle 8.2.3. Materials employed 8.2.4. Economic advantage 8.2.5. Drawbacks of molten salt storage systems 8.3. Thermocline storage 8.3.1. Examples of solar power plants with thermocline storage 8.3.2. Operating principle 8.3.3. Modeling 8.3.4. Integration challenges in a solar power plant 8.3.5. Storage materials 8.3.6. Life cycle analysis 8.3.7. Economic considerations 8.4. Processes with steam accumulator 8.4.1. Existing power plants 8.4.2. Operating principle 8.4.3. Drawbacks 8.5. Solar power plant with particle receiver 8.6. Research and development of latent heat processes 8.6.1. PCM exchanger 8.6.2. PCM encapsulation 8.6.3. Principle 8.6.4. Drawbacks of phase change materials 8.7. Thermochemical storage 8.8. Comparison of the cost of stored solar power 8.9. Conclusion 8.10. References Chapter 9. Hybrid PV–CSP Systems 9.1. Introduction 9.2. Hybrid strategies 9.3. Non-compact hybrid strategies 9.4. Compact hybrid strategies 9.4.1. High-temperature approach 9.4.2. Spectral splitting 9.4.3. Performance-based comparison of the main hybrid strategies 9.4.4. Hybrid PV-TS systems 9.5. Innovative hybrid systems 9.5.1. Mixed hybrid systems 9.5.2. Luminescent solar converters 9.5.3. Very high temperature thermal energy storage coupled with photovoltaic conversion 9.6. Conclusion 9.7. References Chapter 10. Synthetic Fuels from Hydrocarbon Resources 10.1. Introduction to solar fuels 10.2. Conversion of carbonaceous materials using solar energy 10.2.1. Solar cracking and reforming of hydrocarbons 10.2.2. Solar pyrolysis and gasification of solid carbonaceous materials 10.3. Conclusion and perspectives 10.4. References Chapter 11. Solar Fuel Production by Thermochemical Dissociation of Water and Carbon Dioxide 11.1. Introduction 11.2. Direct H2O and CO2 thermolysis 11.3. Thermochemical cycles 11.3.1. Principle 11.3.2. Cycles with volatile oxides 11.3.3. Non-volatile oxide cycles 11.3.4. Non-stoichiometric oxide cycles 11.3.5. Solar reactor concepts for cycle implementation 11.4. Conclusion 11.5. References List of Authors Index EULA