SOLAR

THERMAL
ENERGY:
Characterization
of ENERGY Source
Reporter: James Michael Ong
Course: EgyE 201
Professor: Ferdinand G. Manegdeg
Date: July 8, 2009
Focus
Large-Scale Solar Thermal Energy Power
Plants in Megawatts (MW) capacity
Usage: Electric Power Consumption
Contents
Specifications and Samples
Estimates and Where Located
Introduction
Exploration and Extraction
Handling, Transportation & Storage
Pre-conversion Set-up
Principles
Equation Form
Processes and Equipment Flowcharts
Conversion Technology
Principles
Equation Form
Processes and Equipment Flowcharts
After Conversion Handling
Paragraph
Equation
Energy Resource
Improvement
Books
Internet Sources
Works Cited
Specifications and Samples
Continuous nuclear fusion process
(four hydrogen nuclei fuse to form one
helium nucleus)
E = m c
2
Every square meter of the suns
surface emits a radiant power of 63.11
MW
1/5 of a square km emits 400 EJ (10
18
)
per year
Total solar irradiance or solar constant
G
s
=1367 W/m
2
1%
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From Quaschning
Specifications and Samples
energy emitted in the form of electromagnetic waves
transferring heat (transport by photons) being released from
excited atoms
travelling on straight paths until they are absorbed or scattered by
some other atoms.
Solar Radiation
80% hydrogen, 20% helium and only 0.1% other elements
Chemical Composition
diameter =1.39x 10
9
m.
innermost region core has a temperature of about 8 to 40 x 10
6
K
with average density about 1.409 g/cm
3

Physical Characteristic
Space Requirement
Technical Life Span
Power Generation Cost
Time Availability
Estimates and Where
Located






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Estimates and Where Located





5
0

M
W

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Tables from Garg
Estimates and Where
Located
Time Availability
5:30 am to 6:00 pm
SPAIN
INDIA
SOUTH AFRICA
AUSTRALIA
USA ISRAEL
UK
CHINA
KUWAIT
SOLAR THERMAL POWERPLANTS
Nevada (Solar One)
40 MW/ California (Luz
System)/ Arizona
(280MW)/ Florida
(300MW)/ Mojave
Desert
Almeria/
Seville
(11MW)
Milduria
(154MW)
Negev
Desert
Upington
(100MW)
Low
Temperature
Applications
Estimates and Where
Located
PHILIPPINES
country's average solar radiation
161.7 ~ 170 Watts per square meter
annual potential average
5.1 kilowatt-hour (kWh)/m
2
/day
Based on the 2001 inventory, total of 5,120 solar systems have
been installed (DOE website)
4,619 solar photovoltaic (PV) systems
433 solar water heaters (commercially available)
68 solar dryer systems


DOE Website
Exploration and Extraction
Direct
and
Diffused
Radiation
Solar
Radiation
Data
Types of
Solar
Collectors
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Exploration and Extraction

Albedo
(28-30%)
Direct/
Beam
Radiation
(47%)
Diffused
Radiation
(23%)
Total
Solar
Radiation
From Hubbert; Bansal
Exploration and Extraction
Solar Radiation Data
Ex. Europe - Summer (July) vs. Winter (January)
From Everett
Exploration and Extraction
Types of Solar Collectors
Low
temperature
application
Medium to High
(Concentrators)
Can only use direct solar radiation
Handling, Transportation and
Storage
Heat Transport Fluid through Pipes
Water (Steam)
Synthetic Oil
Storage
Sensible Heat
rock beds (heat capacity= 0.9 kJ/kg K) or water tanks
(4.2 kJ/kg K) at low temperature
Latent Heat
Phase Change- salt hydrates, paraffin
Reversible Thermo-chemical Reactions
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Conversion Technology
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Radiation
Energy
Solar Collector
Thermal
Energy
Receiver and
transmission
to heat
transfer
medium
Mechanical
Energy
Thermal
engine
Electrical
Energy
Generator
Conversion Technology
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Conversion Technology
SOLAR FARM
Geometric Configuration Focus of Parabola
Incident direct SR
Parabolic trough
Pipe with
heat
transport
fluid
Focus
Conversion Technology
Process and Equipment Flowcharts
Conversion Technology
For Concentrators
G
Di
A
R
= Q
R
+ Q
AR
+ Q
C
+ Q
RL
+ Q
U

Q
U
= (1-
A
) G
Di
A
R
- U
A
A
A
(t
p
t
A
) - A
A
(T
P
4
T
A
4
)
Rate of useful energy available from a solar
absorber is transferred to a working fluid inside the
absorber
Q
U
= m c
P
(t
o
-t
i
)

Incident Direct SR -
Incomplete reflectance of
mirror surface - reflectance of
absorber
Radiation Losses from
absorber in long wave region
Heat losses due to
convection
Specific heat of the fluid
mass flow rate in
cooling loop
Concentrator
Assembly
Storage
Thermal Power
Machine
from Bansal
Conversion Technology
Losses due to Storage
Q
LS
= k A
st
(t
st
t
a
) /
I

Daily Useful Energy from Storage
Q
useful
= Q
U
dt - Q
LS
dt = h
E
m dt
thermal conductivity
of the insulation on
the storage
thickness of the
insulation
enthalpy drop in the
evaporation
mass flow rate in the
working loop
Concentrator
Assembly
Storage
Thermal Power
Machine
Conversion Technology
The thermal power of the machine
P
th
= h
E
m
TH
= h
M
m in Watts
The net power of the system
P = P
th

M

G
- P
E

Where P = net electrical power of the system
(W);
M
= mechanical efficiency;
G
=
generator efficiency; P
E
= power consumption
of pumps and controls (W)
enthalpy
drop in the
machine
Thermal
efficiency
Mechanical
efficiency
Generator
efficiency
Concentrator
Assembly
Storage
Thermal Power
Machine
Peak Efficiency: 20%
Conversion Technology
Video: Nevada Solar One 0:59; 2:34
Conversion Technology
SOLAR TOWER
Heliostats
Central receiver
turbine
Absorbers
Conversion Technology
Geometric Configuration
= h + n /2
/2 n = arctan [(Z
T
Z
S
/2)/X] +
n = { h - arctan [(Z
T
Z
S
/2)/X]} / 2
Figures from Bansal
Inclination of
Mirrors
Conversion Technology
Flowchart
Conversion Technology
Useful Radiation from the Mirror
Field
Q
UF
= A
CF

MF
G
D
in Watts
A
CF
= real area of the mirror field (m
2
);

MF
= mirror field efficiency; G
D
= direct
radiation on exactly tracked mirror field
so that incident angle is always zero
(W/m
2
).

Mirror/
Heliostats
Central
Receiver
Conversion Technology
Receiver Layout
Q
UF
= Q
UA
+ Q
r
+ Q
C
+ Q
RF
in Watts
Where Q
UA
= useful power of the absorber; Q
r
=
radiative losses (W); Q
C
= convective losses; Q
RF
=
reflective losses
Q
UA
= h
R
A (t
p
t
FM
)
Where h
R
= heat transfer coefficient in the fluid
channels (W/m
2
K); A = heat transfer area along the
fluid channel (m
2
); t
p
= temperature of the inside
wall of the absorber (C); t
FM
= mean fluid
temperature in the fluid channel (C).







Mirror/
Heliostats
Central
Receiver
Peak Efficiency: 23%
Conversion Technology
Video: Solar Tower Brightsource Israel
Negev Desert 1:37

After Conversion Handling
The pressure and temperature drop during the
process entering the condenser, a heat exchanger
condensing steam at constant pressure by
rejecting heat to a cooling medium such as
lake, river or atmosphere.
After the condenser, the fluid is returned to the
solar receiver through a pump.

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From Cengel
After Conversion Handling
Turbine (no heat exchange Q = 0)
Work done by the turbine
W
turbine, out
= (h
2
h
1
)*
turb
Where h
1
, h
2
are enthalpies at before and after the turbine
Condenser (W =0)
Heat released Q
out
= h
3
h
2

Pump
W
pump
= (h
4
h
2
) VP /
pump


After Conversion Handling
There are proposed methods to harness the heat
released such as water thermal desalination
through the use of solar still (AltelaRainSM
Technology)
New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California, and Middle
East.
Energy Resource
Improvements
Proper
Positioning or
Location of
Power Plants
15 to 35N of
Equator

Declination of
the Sun
and the
Tilting of the
Earth
Proper Tracking
Winter vs.
Summer
Atmospheric
Conditions
and Length of
Day
Locality
Weather
Pollution
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Proper
Positioning or
Location of
Power Plants
15 to 35 of
Equator

Energy Resource
Improvements
Most favorable belt (15-35 from equator) increase in incident
direct solar radiation (Q
useful
G
Direct
) i.e. Q
UF
= A
CF

MF
G
D

3000 h/year of sunshine and limited cloud coverage
More than 90% of the incident solar radiation comes as direct radiation

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Philippines 350 cal/cm
2
d
= 169.56 W/m
2
From Duffie
Energy Resource Improvements
variation in extraterrestrial
radiation with the different
times of the year
Proper tracking of the
changes in the position
of the sun and earth is
significant
Increasing the storage
capacity of the power
plants in the summer
Figures from Garg
Energy Resource Improvements
lowering the amount of air pollutants in
the atmosphere such as smog, fog, dust
Clearer sky condition
with a more radical approach
depletion of the ozone layer
less percentage will be absorbed
Absorption and scattering
under typical clear sky conditions
Factor Percent absorbed Percent scattered
Ozone 2% 0%
Water vapor 8% 4%
Dry air 2% 7%
Upper dust 2% 3%
Lower dust 0% 0%
University of Oregon
References
Books
Bansal, NK and Kleeman, M. (1990) Renewable Energy Sources and Conversion Technology, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing
Company Limited, New Delhi.
Cengel, Y and Turner, R. (2005) Fundamentals of Thermal Fluid Sciences, McGraw-Hill International Edition, Singapore.
Duffie, J. and Beckman, W. (2006) Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes 3
rd
Edition, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey.
Everett, B. (1996) Renewable Energy Power for a Sustainable Future, Oxford University Press, New York.
Garg, HP and Mullick, SC (1985) Solar Thermal Energy Storage, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Holland.
Garg, HP and Prakash, J. (2000) Solar Energy: Fundamentals and Applications First Edition, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing
Company Limited, New Delhi.
Granqvist, CG (1991) Materials Science for Solar Energy Conversion Systems, Pergamon Press, England.
Hubbert, MK (1973) Survey of World Energy Resources.
Kreider, JF (1979) Medium and High Temperature Solar Processes, Academic Press Inc., New York.
Kreider, JF and Hoogendoorn, C. (1989) Solar Design: Components, Systems, Economics, Hemisphere Publishing Corporation,
USA.
Quaschning, V. (2005) Understanding Renewable Energy Systems, Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & Co KG, USA.

Internet Sources
An Assessment of Solar Energy Conversion Technologies and Research Opportunities, Stanford University GCEP Energy
Assessment Analysis Summer 2006, Internet, July 2, 2009.
Basic Research Needs for Solar Energy Utilization: Report on the Basic Energy Sciences Workshop on Solar Energy
Utilization by Nathan S. Lewis, California Institute of Technology, Internet, July 2, 2009.
Renewable Energy Solar Energy, Department of Energy Philippines, Internet, July 2, 2009.
Solar Radiation Basics, University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory, Internet, July 3, 2009.
Wikipedia, Solar Thermal Energy, Internet, June 28, 2009.
Videos: Nevada Solar One 0:59; 2:34; Solar Tower Brightsource Israel Negev Desert 1:37