Analysis of a New Thermodynamic Cycle for Combined Power and Cooling Using Low and Mid Temperature Solar Collectors

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Yogi Goswami ◽  
Feng Xu
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Thermal Power Plant ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Boiling Temperature ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Water Mixture ◽  
Ammonia Vapor ◽  
Ammonia Water ◽  
Solar Thermal Power

A combined thermal power and cooling cycle is proposed which combines the Rankine and absorption refrigeration cycles. It can provide power output as well as refrigeration with power generation as a primary goal. Ammonia-water mixture is used as a working fluid. The boiling temperature of the ammonia-water mixture increases as the boiling process proceeds until all liquid is vaporized, so that a better thermal match is obtained in the boiler. The proposed cycle takes advantage of the low boiling temperature of ammonia vapor so that it can be expanded to a low temperature while it is still in a vapor state or a high quality two phase state. This cycle is ideally suited for solar thermal power using low cost concentrating collectors, with the potential to reduce the capital cost of a solar thermal power plant. The cycle can also be used as a bottoming cycle for any thermal power plant. This paper presents a parametric analysis of the proposed cycle.

Design of a 200 kWe Solar Thermal Power Plant for Ontario

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Cooper ◽  
James S. Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Thermal Power Plant ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Computer Simulation Model ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Solar Thermal Power

A preliminary design and feasibility study has been conducted for a 200 kWe solar thermal power plant for operation in Ontario. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of small-scale commercial solar thermal power production in areas of relatively low insolation. The design has been developed for a convention centre site in Toronto, Ontario. The plant utilizes a portion of the large flat roof area of the convention centre to accommodate the collector array. Each power plant module provides a constant electrical output of 200 kWe throughout the year. The system is capable of maintaining the constant output during periods of low insolation, including night-time hours and cloudy periods, through a combination of thermal storage and a supplemental natural gas heat source. The powerplant utilized the organic Ranking cycle (ORC) to allow for relatively low source temperatures from the solar collector array. A computer simulation model was developed to determine the performance of the system year-round using the utilizability-solar fraction method. The ORC powerplant uses R245fa as the working fluid and operates at an overall efficiency of 11.1%. The collector is a non-concentrating evacuated tube type and operates at a temperature of 90°C with an average annual efficiency of 23.9%. The system is capable of achieving annual solar fractions of 0.686 to 0.874 with collector array areas ranging from 30 000 to 40 000 m2 and storage tank sizes ranging from 3.8 to 10 × 106L respectively. The lowest possible cost of producing electricity from the system is $0.393 CAD/kWh. The results of the study suggest that small-scale solar thermal plants are physically viable for year round operation in Ontario. The proposed system may be economically feasible given Ontario’s fixed purchase price of $0.42 CAD/kWh, but the cost of producing electricity from the system is highly dependent on the price of the solar collector.

Thermoeconomic Approach and Optimization of a Solar Thermal Power Plant

2012 ◽  
Vol 232 ◽  
pp. 609-613
Author(s):  
Ali Baghernejad ◽  
Mahmood Yaghoubi
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Thermal Power Plant ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Optimum Operating ◽  
Production Plant ◽  
Optimum Operating Condition ◽  
Solar Thermal Power

In the present study, a specific and simple second law based exergoeconomic model with instant access to the production costs is introduced. The model is generalized for a case study of Shiraz solar thermal power plant with parabolic collectors for nominal power supply of 500 kW. Its applications include the evaluation of utility costs such as products or supplies of production plant, the energy costs between process operations of an energy converter such as production of an industry. Also attempt is made to minimize objective function including investment cost of the equipments and cost of exergy destruction for finding optimum operating condition for such plant.

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