A receiver for a concentrating solar power plant includes a number of falling curtains of a granular heat transfer medium. The curtains are not "face on" to the heliostat field, and thus the receiver has a volumetric effect. Flow interrupters may be present to slow the downward progress of the falling granules, allowing more time for absorption of concentrated solar radiation.
A receiver for a concentrating solar power plant uses heat pipes to transfer thermal energy to a heat transfer medium in a chamber. An evaporation zone of each of the heat pipes is outside the chamber, and the heat pipes extend through a front wall of the chamber so that their condensation zones are inside the chamber. The heat transfer medium substantially surrounds the heat pipes. In some installations, the total surface area of the heat pipes within the heat transfer medium may be larger than the projected area of the ends of the plurality of heat pipes receiving solar radiation onto the plane of the aperture of the receiver. In some installations, the heat transfer medium is a granular heat transfer medium, and the heat transfer medium and the heat pipes form a moving bed heat exchanger.
Embodiments disclosed herein include flexible joints configured to be positioned between the movable and stationary elements of a CSP heat transfer fluid circuit. Other embodiments include parabolic trough solar reflector modules, solar collectors or solar collector loops having joints between the movable and stationary elements of the heat transfer fluid circuit including at least one or more flexible pipes comprising a loop segment defining at least a partial loop around the axis of rotation.
Embodiments include rotary joints, valve stems and bonnets and methods of connecting pipe segments which must be rotated with respect to each other during normal use. The disclosed rotary joint embodiments are useful when a high temperature fluid is contained within the adjacent pipe segments. Selected rotary joint embodiments include arrays of heat pipes in thermal communication with the seal regions of the rotary joint housing elements, which heat pipes provide for the maintenance of the rotary joint seal within a selected high and low temperature range.
One embodiment comprises a parabolic trough reflector including a plurality of mirrors which are configured to reflect sunlight to a lengthwise zone of concentrated solar flux. Each mirror comprises a reflective surface. The mirror surface is defined by a primary curvature within a plane perpendicular to the lengthwise zone of concentrated solar flux. In addition, the reflective surface of one or more of the mirrors comprises a secondary curvature within a plane parallel to the lengthwise zone of concentrated solar flux. The secondary curvature provides for reduced mirror bending deflection under a load, for example, gravity or wind load. Alternative embodiments include systems for generating electricity utilizing a thermal power cycle with thermal energy is provided to a working fluid from concentrated solar flux using parabolic trough reflectors having enhanced mirrors.
A hybrid energy storage system stores energy both thermally and electrochemically using the same energy storage media. In one implementation, the system includes a battery, a connection for receiving electrical energy, and a heat transfer medium. The battery has a cathode medium and an anode medium. At least some of the received electrical energy is stored electrochemically in the battery, and energy is stored thermally by heating the cathode medium and the anode medium with thermal energy received from the heat transfer medium.
Embodiments include concentrated solar power systems and methods including a solar receiver configured to heat a power cycle working fluid with concentrated solar flux. The systems and methods also utilize a powered cold thermal energy reservoir. The cold thermal energy reservoir houses a cold thermal energy medium which may be cooled, utilizing refrigeration, heat pumps or another cooling technique, to a temperature which is below the contemporaneous ambient air temperature. The systems and methods further include apparatus to the convert thermal energy of the working fluid to mechanical energy according to a power cycle. Waste heat from the power cycle working fluid is rejected into the cold thermal energy reservoir thereby increasing overall system efficiency. Electrical energy from any source may be stored as thermal energy in a cold thermal energy storage system associated with the cold thermal energy medium.
Embodiments include solar apparatus mounts comprising a foundation having a side surface supporting a circular or semi-circular azimuth track. The disclosed solar apparatus mount embodiments also include three or more azimuth rollers. The azimuth rollers are operatively engaged with the azimuth track to provide for the horizontal and vertical support, positioning and rotation of a solar apparatus around an azimuth axis.
Disclosed embodiments include solar power receiver tubes for a concentrated solar power receiver having a tube wall that is optically transparent to solar energy. Concentrated solar power systems and methods featuring the use of optically transparent receiver tubes are also disclosed. The optically transparent receiver tube may include a transparent tube wall fabricated from at least one of the following materials; single crystal alumina (synthetic sapphire), aluminum oxynitride, spinel, quartz or magnesium aluminum oxide.
Disclosed embodiments include concentrating solar power (CSP) systems and solar receivers for CSP systems configured to provide inlet and outlet heat transfer material flow control. The disclosed embodiments feature heat transfer material flowing in and open heat transfer material circuit. Certain embodiments may be implemented with a solid-liquid phase change material as the heat transfer material. Alternative embodiments include methods of heat transfer material flow control in a CSP system and CSP systems configured as described.
One disclosed embodiment is a concentrated solar thermal system for re-melting recycled or scrap metal. The system includes a solar receiver configured to receive concentrated solar flux reflected from one or many reflecting surfaces to heat a quantity of the recycled metal and cause at least a portion of the recycled metal to melt. The molten metal is then passed to a solidification stage where the molten metal may be cast into any type of solid form useful for sale or the subsequent production of metal products. The solidified metal may be sold or otherwise removed from the system. In certain embodiments, heat exchange is made to occur between the molten metal and the working fluid of an electrical power generation cycle resulting in electrical power generation. Methods of remelting metal using solar thermal power and methods of generating power using a molten metal heat transfer material derived from recycled metal or scrap are also disclosed.
Solar collector modules and techniques for their construction are disclosed. In one aspect, a solar collector module includes a reflector and a three-dimensional structural frame that supports the reflector. The structural frame includes a set of primary structural shapes and a set of axial frame members connected between corners of the primary structural shapes forming helical paths for the transmission of torque from one end of the structural frame to the other. In another aspect, a method for assembling a solar collector module includes pre-assembling part of the module.
B21D 53/02 - Making other particular articles heat exchangers, e.g. radiators, condensers
F24S 23/74 - Arrangements for concentrating solar rays for solar heat collectors with reflectors with trough-shaped or cylindro-parabolic reflective surfaces
F24S 25/60 - Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules
F24S 25/70 - Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules with means for adjusting the final position or orientation of supporting elements in relation to each other or to a mounting surfaceArrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules with means for compensating mounting tolerances
E04C 3/04 - JoistsGirders, trusses, or truss-like structures, e.g. prefabricatedLintelsTransoms of metal
Reflector support arms for use in connection with parabolic trough solar concentrators are provided. The reflector support arms are constructed from multiple formed components. The use of multiple formed components enables the provision of a precisely constructed support arm. In addition, by using multiple components, the support arm can be produced using smaller forming machines than would otherwise be required.
F24J 2/00 - Use of solar heat, e.g. solar heat collectors (distillation or evaporation of water using solar energy C02F 1/14;roof covering aspects of energy collecting devices E04D 13/18;devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G 6/00;semiconductor devices specially adapted for converting solar energy into electrical energy H01L 31/00;photovoltaic [PV] cells including means directly associated with the PV cell to utilise heat energy H01L 31/525;PV modules including means associated with the PV module to utilise heat energy H02S 40/44)
14.
COUPLED CHEMICAL-THERMAL SOLAR POWER SYSTEM AND METHOD
A CSP system is disclosed which couples a thermal and a chemical energy pathway. The thermal pathway utilizes a heat transfer fluid to collect concentrated sunlight as thermal energy at medium temperature and transfer this energy to a thermal-to-electric power cycle. In parallel, the chemical pathway uses a redox material which undergoes direct photoreduction in the receiver to store the solar energy as chemical potential. This redox material is then oxidized at very high temperatures in the power cycle in series with the thermal pathway heat exchanger. This coupling allows the receiver to perform at the high efficiencies typical of state of the art thermal power towers while simultaneously achieving the power cycle efficiencies typical of natural gas combustion plants and achieving a very high overall solar-to-electric conversion efficiency.
F24J 2/04 - Solar heat collectors having working fluid conveyed through collector
F24J 1/00 - Apparatus or devices using heat produced by exothermal chemical reactions other than by combustion (for cooking-vessels A47J 36/28;self-heating compresses A61F 7/03;materials for the production of heat or cold undergoing non-reversible chemical reactions, other than by combustion, when used C09K 5/18)
15.
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE CONTROL OPTIMIZATION
Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems and methods are disclosed featuring the use of a solid-liquid phase change heat transfer material (HTM). The systems and methods include a solar receiver configured to receive concentrated solar flux to heat a quantity of the solid HTM and cause a portion of the solid HTM to melt to a liquid HTM. The systems and methods also include a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the solar receiver. The heat exchanger is configured to receive liquid HTM and provide for heat exchange between the liquid HTM and the working fluid of a power generation block. The heat exchanger further provides for the solidification of the liquid HTM. The systems and methods also include a material transport system providing for transportation of the solidified HTM from the heat exchanger to the solar receiver.
Methods and systems for providing an impedance heat transfer fluid heating system in association with a parabolic trough solar concentrator are provided. The system includes an intermediate terminal connector that electrically interconnects a receiver tube of the parabolic trough solar concentrator to a power supply. The intermediate terminal connector can include a pair of plates running parallel to the receiver tube. The system additionally includes a pair of end terminal connectors. Each end terminal connector features a receiver tube plate having an aperture that completely surrounds the receiver tube assembly pipe. The end terminal connectors can additionally include a terminal connector extension that is at an angle to the receiver tube plate. A current return conductor extends between an end terminal connector and the power supply. The current return conductor is supported by the collector frame or structure and/or a receiver tube support structure.
The effectiveness of heat transfer to and from a thermal energy storage medium, for example a phase change medium, is enhanced by the inclusion of thermally-conductive elements within the thermal energy storage medium. The thermally-conductive elements may be filler shapes placed in a self-supporting stacking arrangement, which may be a random stacking arrangement. The effective thermal conductivity of the matrix that includes the thermal energy storage medium and the thermally-conductive elements is higher than the thermal conductivity of the thermal energy storage medium itself. Other thermally-conductive elements may be used, for example thermally-conductive sheets.
F28D 9/00 - Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall
F28D 20/00 - Heat storage plants or apparatus in generalRegenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups or
F28F 13/00 - Arrangements for modifying heat transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing
A concentrating solar power plant ( 200 ) utilizes two heat transfer fluids. A first heat transfer fluid is heated in a field ( 203 ) of concentrating solar collectors. A second heat transfer fluid is heated through a heat exchanger ( 204 ) using heat imparted from the first heat transfer fluid. The second heat transfer fluid is then further heated, for example in a second field ( 205 ) of concentrating solar collectors, and power is generated utilizing thermal energy extracted from the second heat transfer fluid. The second heat transfer fluid may be a solar salt, and may thus have a higher working temperature than the first heat transfer fluid. The power plant may realize the power generation efficiency improvements offered by utilizing a high temperature working fluid, while at least some of the plant does not require backup heating to protect against freezing events.
F22B 1/00 - Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method
F01K 3/00 - Plants characterised by the use of steam or heat accumulators, or intermediate steam heaters, therein
F03G 6/06 - Devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy with solar energy concentrating means
F24S 10/30 - Solar heat collectors using working fluids with means for exchanging heat between two or more working fluids
F24S 20/20 - Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
F24S 23/74 - Arrangements for concentrating solar rays for solar heat collectors with reflectors with trough-shaped or cylindro-parabolic reflective surfaces
19.
CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER METHODS AND SYSTEMS WITH LIQUID-SOLID PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL FOR HEAT TRANSFER
Concentrating solar power systems and methods featuring the use of a solid-liquid phase change heat transfer material (HTM). The systems and methods include a solar receiver to heat and melt a quantity of solid HTM. Systems also include a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the solar receiver providing for heat exchange between the liquid HTM and the working fluid of a power generation block. The systems and methods also include a hot storage tank in communication with the solar receiver and the heat exchanger. The hot storage tank is configured to receive a portion of the liquid HTM from the solar receiver for direct storage as a thermal energy storage medium. Thus, the system features the use of a phase change HTM functioning as both a heat transfer medium and a thermal energy storage medium.
patents
