Annual Report 2006 - Plataforma Solar de Almería

PLATAFORMA SOLAR DE ALMERÍA
• Modeling and simulation software development in the TRNSYS environment,
improving existing parabolic-trough collector field simulation
programs for both the HTF technology and direct steam generation in
the parabolic-trough solar collector absorber tubes.
• Evaluation of new components and designs for parabolic-trough collectors.
The confidential nature of this type of work prohibits us from providing
concrete information on the PSA’s work in this area in 2006.
• Diffusion of the parabolic-trough collector technology, by giving lectures
and participating in courses on renewable energies. In this field,
the most significant contribution of the medium Concentration Group
was our participation in the Course on “Solar Concentrating Systems”
in Madrid from October 2-11, 2006.
• Consulting services for builders and engineering firms on parabolictrough
technology: The incentives and premiums set by Royal Decree
436/2004 have given rise to a strong commercial interest in solar
thermal power plants. This has caused a large number of companies to
start exploring the possibility of entering this field of technology. Since
the parabolic-trough collector technology is the most commercially mature
for solar thermal power plants, it is the technology most of the
companies are interested in. As the PSA is the European center of reference
in solar concentrating technologies, almost all the companies
come to the PSA for information and consultancy. Given the logical
limitation of available resources in the Medium Concentration Group, it
is sometimes impossible to attend to all of the requests received. It is
our desire to be able to increase our human resources to adequately
give Spanish industry all of the support demanded of us at this time
and which, at present, it is impossible for us to do.
3.3 High Concentration Group
Central Receiver Systems (CRS), after a scale-up and concept demonstration
stage, at the end of 2006, are at the gateway of commercial operation.
Today, over 10 complete experimental central receiver systems and a wide
variety of components (heliostats, receivers, storage subsystems) have been
tested worldwide. This accumulated experience has demonstrated the technical
feasibility of the concept and its ability to operate at high incident radiation
flux (typically between 200 and 1000 kW/m 2 ), which makes it possible for
them to work at high temperatures (between 250ºC and 1100ºC) and gradually
be integrated into more efficient cycles, from Rankine cycles with saturated
steam to Brayton cycles with gas turbines. It has also been demonstrated
that they easily admit hybrid operation in a wide variety of options
and have the potential to generate over 4500 equivalent hours per year highcapacity
electricity with the aid of thermal storage systems. System efficiency
predictions are 20-23% at design point and 15-17% annual.
The high cost of capital is an obstacle to the commercial deployment of its
full potential. The first commercial applications that are about to be inaugurated,
still have installed power costs of 2500-9000€/kW (depending on storage)
and electricity production costs of around 0.16-0.20€/kWh. A reduction
in the cost of the technology is therefore essential to increase the number of
commercial applications. Aware of this problem, the PSA, as well as participating
in the first commercial CRT demonstration plants, maintains a permanent
line of research in component and system development for their cost
reduction and efficiency improvement.
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