Thermal Energy Storage Systems For Concentrating Solar Power Csp Plants

The option to supply electricity on demand is a key advantage of solar thermal power plants with integrated thermal storage.

Thermal energy storage systems for concentrating solar power csp plants. Thermal energy storage forms a key component of a power plant for improvement of its dispatchability. In a concentrating solar power csp system the sun s rays are reflected onto a receiver which creates heat that is used to generate electricity that can be used immediately or stored for later use. In a csp plant that includes storage the solar energy is first used to heat the molten salt or synthetic oil which is stored providing thermal heat energy at high temperature in insulated tanks. Later the hot molten salt or oil is used in a steam generator to produce steam to generate electricity by steam turbo generator as per requirement.

The adaptation of storage systems both to the solar energy receiver system and the power cycle of the plant is essential. This project will design and test a multi megawatt thermal falling particle receiver concentrating solar thermal power csp system in the first two gen3 csp phases. The integration of thermal energy storage systems enables concentrating solar power csp plants to provide dispatchable electricity. However one of the key factors that determine the development of this technology is the integration of efficient and cost effective thermal energy storage tes systems so as to overcome csp s intermittent character and to be more economically competitive.

Thermal energy storage for concentrating solar thermal power csp plants can help in overcoming the intermittency of the solar resource and also reduce the levelized cost of energy lcoe by. It will have the potential to operate for thousands of hours provide 6 hours of energy storage and heat a working fluid like supercritical carbon dioxide or air. Solar thermal energy especially concentrated solar power csp represents an increasingly attractive renewable energy source.