Integrated Thermal Storage for g g Concentrating Solar Power

Ray Dracker Solar Millennium LLC Berkeley, CA Klaus-Juergen Riffelmann Flagsol Integrated Energy Policy Report Workshop
July 31, 2008

Content
How does the storage work with solar power? Molten Salt and Other Storage Media What are the benefits? Summary

Solar Power Plant without Storage

Electricity Production is directly dependent on the available solar radiation Fluctuations in radiation will directly influence electrical output

S olar Field 2-Tank Salt Storage Solar Superheater Steam Turbine

HTF Heater (optional)

Fuel

Hot Salt Tank

Condenser

Steam Generator Solar Preheater Deaerator Cold Salt Tank Solar Reheater Expansion Vessel

Low Pressure Preheater

Solar Plant with Molten Salt Storage ( (indirect 2-tank) )

Solar Thermal Energy Storage Options

Single Phase Liquid Storage
Two-Tank Indirect or Direct Storage Thermocline Single Tank Storage g g Molten Salt or Synthetic Oil Typical

Phase Change Material Storage Latent Heat Concrete (or similar) Mass Storage

General Arrangement: Salt Storage System

Oil-to-salt heat exchanger (typical of 6) Cold salt pump Hot salt pump Isolation valve (typical of 4)

Cold Salt Tank

Hot Salt Tank

Immersion heater (typical of 4)

14m
Distribution ring header Distribution ring header

Immersion heater (typical of 4)

Cooing air (typical of pipes 24)

38 m
Cold Salt Tank

Oil-to-salt heat exchangers (typical of 6)

(typical 38 m of pipes Cooling air pipes g pp (typical of 24) 24)

Cooing air

Hot Salt Tank

Cold salt pump

Hot salt pump Isolation valve (typical of 4)

Distribution ring header Elevated platform

40 m
Immersion heater (typical of 4) 1.0 m Immersion heater (typical of 4)

General Arrangement: Salt Storage

Andasol 1 Andasol-1 Construction

Andasol 1 Storage Design Data

Type: Storage Fluid: g Heat Exchanger Rating: Storage Capacity: 2-Tank Molten Salt Storage Molten Salt (Solar Salt) ( ) ~130MW 1010 MWh (~7.5 hrs full load operation) Storage Tank Size: Cold Tank Temperature: Hot Tank Temperature: Melting Point of Fluid: Salt Mass: Flow Rate: Fl R t Annual Storage Efficiency: 14 m height 38 m diameter 292C 386C 223C 27 500 tons 953 k / kg/s ~95%

Molten Salt Storage Current State-of-the-Art

Any salt above its melting point can be called Molten Salt (also table salt =NaCl) pp y In industrial applications many different kinds of molten salts are used Solar Salt is used for the Thermal Storages (60%-w.NaNO3+40%w.KNO3)

KNO3 in its crystalline form at room temperature

Name N NaCl NaNO3 KNO3 *eutecic mixture NaNO +KN

Melting M li Point 801C 307C 334C 220C

Why Molten Salt?

Molten Salts are used because of their properties like But: They have a high crystallization temperature High specific heat relative to material costs Very low vapour pressure Low d L degradation rate hi h chemical stability d ti t high h i l t bilit Non flammable Non explosive Environmentally Benign ( also used as fertilizer)

Typical Applications of Molten Salts

Heat Treatment: Hardening baths, Cleaning: removal of paint, rubber, polymers, Cl i l f i bb l Heat transfer systems: Remove heat (e.g. from exothermic reactions) Supply heat (e.g. to endothermic reactions)

Reliable and safe operation since decades!

Molten Salts in Process Industry

a)

Molten Salt system with an output of 14 MW at 430C, England

b)

Heat Transfer plants. All photographs by Bertrams Heatec Ltd.

Molten Salt system with an output of 88 MW at 400C,Bauxite digestion plant in Germany

c)

Molten Salt system with an output of 7.7 MW at 470C,melamine plant in Germany

Molten Salts in Solar Thermal Applications

Projects SUNSHINE (Japan) (J ) THEMIS (France) (F ) Solar Two (USA) ENEA (Italy)

Year 1981 1983 1996-1999 Since 2004

Conventional EPGS

Hot Salt

Cold Salt

Steam Generator

Thermal Storage US Applications

2 x 2-Tank Molten Salt Storage Storage Fluid - Solar Salt NaNO3/KNO3 Power Rating - 268 MWe Storage Cap. 2,400 MWh Storage Tank Size:
15 m height 40 m diameter

Hot Tank Temp. - 732 oF Cold Tank Temp. - 558 oF Freeze Temp - 433 oF Temp. Salt Mass - 65,000 tons Turn-around Efficiency - 95%

SM Andasol 1 Project

Phase Change Material Storage

Good fit for providing both latent and sensible heat to cycle working fluid Best fit for DSG technologies

Cement Storage
Potential for very low cost Can be built in modules Best B t use for sensible h t t f ibl heat transfer f Can be used with DSG technologies Under Development

Plants with integrated storage can p g g provide greater value to the utility grid
Increase of annual capacity factor of solar power plants Electricity production during system peak demand periods Buffering during transient weather conditions More even distribution of electricity production Provide reliable peaking capacity

Shift Output from Morning Off-Peak to Evening On-Peak Charge Storage fully before noon Discharge in early evening to maintain plant output beyond sunset

1000 900 800

Solar Radiation

300

Power Production250 Heat Collected By Solar Field

Storage Discharge To Power Production
Electrical Power [MWe] 200

DNI [W/m], The ermal Power [MWt]

700 600 500 400 100 300 200 50 100 0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

hour

Solar Heat To Storage

150

0 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Extend operation from Sunrise to Late Evening Power Generation at Sunrise; Gradual Storage Fill All Day Discharge Storage in early evening to maintain plant output beyond sunset g g y g p p y
1000 900
DNI [W W/m], Thermal Power [MWt] P

300

Solar Radiation
250

Power Production Heat Collected By Solar Field

Storage Discharge To Power Production

700 200 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

hour

150

100

Solar Heat To Storage

50

0 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

ElectricalPower[MWe]

800

SOLAR BOOSTER : Shift the solar power from the p morning/evening hours to the afternoon hours!
Now: Solar multiple < 1
1000 250

DNI
900 800
DNI [W/m Thermal Power [M m], MWt]

produced net electricity

200

700 600 500

thermal heat collected by the Solar Field y

150 Ele ectric Power [MWe]

heat flow to storage

400 300 200 100 0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
hour

100

heat flow from storage

50

0 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Charge of storage until noon (without any electricity production) Electricity production from noon to 6 PM using heat of solar field AND storage Charge the storage again in the evening

Summary
Storage can improve economics of solar thermal power plants Storage helps to increase availability and plant capacity factor and improves system flexibility y Molten salt technology is a proven technology in the process industry Risks are manageable Cl Clear market pull f k t ll from many utilities tiliti