Patnode, Angela M.; Klein, Sanford A.; Reindl, Douglas T.
July 2006
Proceedings of the ASME International Solar Energy Conference - Solar Engineering 2006, International Solar Energy Conference , Volume 2006 Pages: 6
Models for the solar field and Rankine cycle in the SEGS VI solar thermal electric plant are developed using the TRNSYS simulation program. Both the solar field and power cycle models were validated with temperature and flow rate data from SEGS VI between 1998 and 2005. The validated model is used to assess three aspects of plant performance. First, comparisons of measured solar field outlet temperatures from 1998 and 2005 suggest that some degradation in solar field performance occurred, which may be attributed to diffusion of hydrogen from the heat transfer fluid through the receiver into the annulus surrounding the absorber tubes. The decrease in electric power production attributable to hydrogen accumulation is quantified. Second, there is a trade-off between the decrease in solar field efficiency and increase in power cycle efficiency that occur with increasing field outlet temperature. The magnitude of these competing trends is such that the change in gross system efficiency with temperature is small. Finally, the plant model is used to assess air-cooled condensers as an alternative to cooling towers.Source: www.engineeringvillage2.org