EGN 4913: Renewable Energy Systems

LO2: Describe, Analyse, and Design Solar Thermal

Power Systems

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LO 2: Describe, Analyze, and Design
Solar Thermal Power Systems.
• Sub-outcome 1: Describe the components of a typical domestic solar
thermal system using a block diagram.
• Sub-outcome 2: Describe the components of a typical solar thermal
steam turbine power plant using a block diagram.
• Sub-outcome 3: Identify various types of solar thermal collectors.
• Sub-outcome 4: Describe heat storage methods and mediums.
• Sub-outcome 5: Illustrate controllers and sensors in domestic hot
water systems (DHWS) using a block diagram.
• Sub-outcome 6: Design, simulate, and analyze a small scale, solar
thermal power system
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 Graphics and Animations – 1
Title: Introduction to Solar Thermal Energy

Please, Activate slideshow mode and Click to play. 3

Sub-outcome 1: Describe the components of a typical
domestic solar thermal system using a block diagram
• Domestic solar thermal system
• Solar Heating Systems
– Passive solar heating
• Direct gain
• Indirect gain
• Isolated
– Passive Solar Water Heating
• Thermosiphon
– Active Solar Water Heating
• Direct
• Indirect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6QOZGgbj-g 4
 Passive Solar Building Design
• Is the least expensive way to heat your home.
• Passive means it does not involve the use of mechanical and
electrical devices.
• In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are
made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat
in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer.
• Promotes cooling in hot weather and retaining heat in cold weather
• Methods include
– Building a wall that absorbs heat during the day and releases it at
night;
– Plant deciduous trees;
– Overhangs that block summer sun but allow winter sun in;
– Passive solar design depends somehow on active occupants.
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 Principal of Operation
• Solar radiation is trapped by the greenhouse action of correctly
oriented (south-facing) glass areas exposed to full sun.
• Trapped heat is absorbed and stored by materials with high thermal
mass (usually masonry) inside the house. It is re-released at night
when it is needed to offset heat losses to lower outdoor temperatures.
– Thermal mass is a large mass of a material with high thermal
capacity.
• The house itself acts as the solar collector and storage facility. This
system makes use of the materials of the house to store and absorb
heat (part or all of the thermal mass).
• No pumps or fans are used.
• Three Types:
1. Direct-Gain
2. Indirect-Gain
3. Isolated (Attached Greenhouse) 6
1-DIRECT-GAIN
Direct: solar radiation directly
reaching the living space.

• Large south facing windows

that let in the sunlight.

• Thermal mass is used to absorb

the radiation.
– At night the absorbed heat is
radiated back into the living space.

• During winter more sun light

enters homes that can help in
lighting, as well as heating.
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 2-INDIRECT-GAIN
Indirect: solar radiation reaching an area or mainly a
wall adjacent, but not part of the living space.
• Collects and stores the solar
energy in one part of the
house and use natural heat
transfer to distribute heat to
the rest of the house.

• Popular method is to use a

Trombe Wall which is a
massive black masonry that
acts as a solar collector and
a heat storage medium.
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3-Isolated
• An isolated gain system has its
integral parts separate from the main
living area of a house.

• Examples are a sunroom and a

convective loop through an air
collector to a storage system in the
house. The ability to isolate the
system from the primary living areas
is the point of distinction for this
type of system.

• Heat can be moved to the living

space by natural or forced
convection.
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 The Effects of Shading
Overhang gives shade in summer and permits direct solar
radiation into the structure in winter.
Also using of movable shades for summer

Overhang

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 Solar Water Heating Systems
1. Passive solar water heating
– Does not include any electrical or mechanical devices to
pump the water or heat, but
– Natural circulation of water.
2. Active solar water heating
– Includes an electrical pump used to move water through
the solar cycle of a system by forced circulation;
– Forces circulation of water;
– Types:
• Direct solar water heating
• Indirect solar water heating
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Passive solar water heating systems
(Thermosiphon systems)
Thermosiphon systems It consists of
 Water flows through the system • Collector,
when warm water rises as cooler • Tank,
water sinks.
(cold water has a higher density than • Water, and
warm water, and so it sinks down.) • Piping system

 The collector must be installed below

the storage tank so that warm water
will rise into the tank.

 These systems are reliable, but

contractors must pay careful Gravity pulls down
attention to the roof design because heavier water from the
of the heavy storage tank. tank . The cold water
pushes the heated water
through the collector
 The system needs neither a pump outlet.
 Direct Solar Water Heating
• Direct systems capture the sun's heat in
collectors to directly heat a household's
water supply.
• The system consists of collector pipes
filled with water that are linked to an
insulated storage tank usually located
inside a home.
• They are more efficient than indirect
ones,
• They require more maintenance to keep
the pipes clear of mineral deposits.
• They work best in warmer climates
where the system is less prone to
freezing.
 Indirect Solar Water Heating
• Indirect systems do not heat the water directly rather they use glycol
( a fluid with a low-freezing point, antifreeze) to absorb radiant
energy from the sun.
• As the temperature in the pipes rise, the heat activates a pump that
circulates the glycol fluid through a heat exchange coil in the water
tank.
• That coil, in turn, transfers its heat to the water tank and , hot water
is produced ready for use.
A solar district heating system
Sizing a Solar Water-Heating System

• Determine the total collector area and

• Storage volume needed to meet 90 to 100 % of

household's hot water needs during summer

• RetScreen Software can be utilized

• (www.retscreen.net/ang/home.php)
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 Sizing a Solar Water-Heating System
(Cont.)
• Sizing Collector Area • Sizing Storage Volume

 Allow 20 square feet  A small (50 to 60 gal)

(2m2) of collector area for storage tank one to two
two family members and people.
 A medium (80 gal)
 12 to 14 sqr feet (1.20 to storage tank for three to
1.30 m2) for each four people.
additional person.  A large tank (120 gal)
for 4 to 6 people.
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Sizing a Solar Water-Heating System
(Cont.)

• For active solar water-heating systems, the size of the

solar storage tank increases with the size of the collector.

• Typically 1.5 gallons per square foot of collector.

• This helps prevent the system from overheating when the

demand for hot water is low.

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 Cooling with the Sun
• An absorption-refrigerating machine utilizes the chemical process of
sorption (the absorption of a gas or a fluid by another fluid).
• Absorption - refrigerating machines use a sorbable cooling agent with
a low boiling point, such as ammonia, which is later dissolved in
water.
• The cooling agent boils in a vaporizer at low temperatures.
• Process:
– Evaporator evaporates liquid ammonia.
– Ammonia is then dissolved in water and
– solution subsequently pumped by a pump to a tank (generator)
where it gains heat from the solar thermal heating system
– Ammonia separates from water in the generator
– Ammonia is then cooled and condensed in a condenser
– Liquid ammonia is passed again to the evaporator. 19
Cooling with the Sun

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 Graphics and Animations – 2
Title: CSP with Storage (Molten Salt)

Please, Activate slideshow mode and Click to play.

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Solar Thermal Collectors for Power Plants
[Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)]
• CSP energy uses reflectors (like mirrors) to focus and harness
sunlight into concentrated heat energy.
• This energy is then generally used to heat a fluid, like water or
oil or molten salt, which in turn produces stream or hot air.
• The steam is then used to drive a turbine connected to a
generator to produce electricity.
• They use identical steam cycles to those of convectional fossil
fuel and nuclear power plants.
• Types are:
– Direct Systems
– Indirect Systems

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=GxHQHcpCWa8 22
 CSP Plants: Direct Systems

CSP Plants: Direct Systems with heat storage tanks

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 CSP Plants: Direct Systems
• The heat transfer fluid (HTF) is the same thermal energy storage fluid

• The HTF is stored directly in the energy storage tanks

• The working medium is the often molten salt; to be kept above 220oC.

• Mostly used in Compact Linear Fresnel reflector and thermal tower

because they don’t required fluid coupling since the receiver is not
moving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ftl-WM6wms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=GxHQHcpCWa8
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6NLoo8k8DI
 How Does it Work? Direct System
• Day and charging:
– The heat transfer fluid (HTF) , usually molten salt, is pumped from the cold
storage tank to the solar collector(s).
– HTF flows through the solar collector(s) and gain heat and reaches high temp.
Part of HTF goes to be stored in the hot storage tank and part goes to the boiler
where it gives its heat to the water to convert water to steam.
– After the boiler. part of the fluid is stored in cold storage tank and part continues
the cycle to the solar collector again.
• Night and discharging:
– During night the hot fluid in the hot storage tank is pumped to the boiler where
it gives some of its heat. It then exits the boiler and stored in the cold storage
tank.
• Note that the HTF is the same thermal energy storage fluid in this
cycle.
• Note that during the discharge of the stored heat, the solar collector(s)
loop is eliminated. 25
CSP Plants: Indirect Systems

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 CSP Plants: Indirect Systems
• The heat transfer fluid (synthetic oil) is different from the
thermal energy storage fluid (molten salt).

• Indirect as there is a heat exchanger between the heat transfer

fluid and the storage medium.

• Used in parabolic trough systems since there is fluid coupling

(flexible hoses or mechanical couplings) as the absorber is
moving with the reflector.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJb5TPUHILo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTSZSJnlKUY
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 How Does it Work?: Indirect System
• Day and charging:
– The HTF, usually synthetic oil, flows through the solar collector(s). Part of it
flows to the heat exchanger where it exchange heat with the thermal energy
storage fluid, usually molten salt, and heat it. The other part flows to the boiler
where it gives its heat to convert water to steam. The HTF coming from the
boiler and the one coming from the heat exchanger merge together again and
flow to the solar collector(s) to repeat the cycle.
– In the heat exchanger with the thermal energy storage fluid, the thermal energy
storage fluid flows from the cold storage tank passing through the heat
exchanger where it gains heat then flows to the hot storage tank where it is
stored to be used during night.
• Night and discharging:
– The thermal energy storage fluid flows from the hot storage tank through the
heat exchanger with the HTF where it gives heat to the HTF then it is stored in
the cold storage tank. The HTF fluid flows to the boiler to generate steam.
• Note: The HTF is different from the thermal energy storage fluid.
• Note: During the discharge period, the solar collector(S) loop is eliminated.
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Concentrating Solar Thermal Power
(CSP) Technologies
Line-Focused Point-Focused

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 Sun Tracking

• The individual collectors rotate on their longitudinal axis

• Parabolic trough solar tracking change orientation from east in the mooring to west in the
evening
• The mirrors concentrate the sunlight more than 80-fold at the focal point onto an absorber
pipe. 30
 Graphics and Animations – 3
Title: Solar Troughs

Please, Activate slideshow mode and Click to play.

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 Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC)
• The individual collectors rotate on their longitudinal axis
• Parabolic trough solar tracking change orientation from east in the
mooring to west in the evening
• The mirrors concentrate the sunlight more than 80-fold at the focal
point onto an absorber pipe.
• The PTC consists of large curved mirrors, which concentrate the
sunlight to a focal line or evacuated glass tube. The PTC can be 300–
600 meter long.
• The absorber tube is enveloped in evacuated glass tube to reduce heat
losses
• They are 75% efficient . The oil inside the tubes can be heated up to
400oC .
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 Graphics and Animations – 4
Title: Solar Tower

Please, Activate slideshow mode and Click to play.

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 2. Solar Power Tower
• A circular array of heliostats (large individually-tracking mirrors) is
used to concentrate sunlight on to a central receiver mounted on the
top of a tower
• A receiver is located here with an absorber, which, due to the highly
concentrated sunlight, heats up to temperatures of over 1000 ºC
• A heat transfer fluid absorbs the highly concentrated radiation
reflected by the heliostats
• Heat is then transferred to steam cycle to produce superheated steam
for turbine operation
• Heat transfer fluid can be: water, molten salt, liquid sodium, and air
• If a gas or air is pressurized in the receiver (open air receiver), it can
be used to drive a gas turbine instead the steam turbine
• The absorber is heated up to temperatures of 1000°C or more. 34
What are the advantages of molten salt?
• Reaches high temp. at low pressures (like atm. pressure) unlike
water which needs very high pressure to flow as water at high
temperature

• Working at high temperatures assures running the steam plant at

higher efficiency

• Cheap
What is the thermal capacity by mass and by
volume of molten salt compared to that of water?
• They are very close by volume, i.e. one liter of molten salt can
store almost as much thermal energy as one liter of water.
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 Solar Power Tower
Receiver

Heliostats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wM2Vqw1YjY 36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1-zjbRqYXk
 Graphics and Animations – 5
Title: Sterling Engine

Please, Activate slideshow mode and Click to play.

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 3. Parabolic Dish (PD)
• PD concentrators are comparatively small units with motor-generator
(using sterling engine) at the focal point of the reflector.

• Overall size typically ranges from 5 to 15 meters in diameter and 5 to

50 kW of power output.

• Solar dish technology is the world’s most efficient device for the
conversion of solar energy to grid-delivered electricity

• Nearly twice as efficient as any alternative solar technology.

• The solar heat is projected at a Sterling engine which in turn connected

to a generator

• The receiver can be heated up to 650°C.

• But what is its main problem, Very expensive

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 Graphics and Animations – 6
Title: Parabolic Dish animation

Please, Activate slideshow mode and Click to play.

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4. Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector
(CLFR)
• Uses long, thin segments of mirrors to focus sunlight into a fixed
absorber located at a common focal point of the reflectors.
• Concentrating the sun energy to approximately 30 times its normal
intensity.
• The concentrated energy is transferred through the absorber tube into
some thermal fluid.
• The fluid goes through a heat exchanger to power a steam generator.
• The absorber tube is usually embedded in an evacuated glass tube that
reduces heat losses
• The power plant produces steam at 270oC and 55 bars.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdhbp9mZUg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP48pAb8sec 40
Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector

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 Classification of Collectors
• Focus
– Line focused: parabolic trough and CLFR
– Point focused: Solar tower and parabolic dish

• Tracking
– Single axis: parabolic trough and CLFR
– Two axis: Solar tower (heliostats) and parabolic dish

• Receiver
– Fixed: solar tower and CLFR
– Mobile: parabolic trough and parabolic dish
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 Sub-outcome 3: Identify various
types of solar thermal collectors
A solar thermal collector collects heat by absorbing
sunlight. A collector is a device for capturing solar
radiation. We have already discussed some of them and
summary is below:
1. Flat plate collectors
2. Low Temperature Unglazed Collectors
3. Evacuated tube collectors
4. Parabolic trough collectors
5. Parabolic dish collectors

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Sub-outcome 4: Describe heat
storage methods and mediums

Potential Kinetic
Mechanical

Solid-
gaseous

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 Thermal Energy Storage- objective
Energy storage is the capture of energy produced at one time for use at a later time.

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 Why Thermal Energy Storage?

• Because many renewable sources (e.g. wind, solar, tidal)

are intermittent in nature, storage is useful, both for the
times it is available, and not needed, as well as those times
it is needed, but not available.

• Another advantage is to optimally use the infrastructure

(e.g. the conversional steam power station) by having it
running most of the day at rated capacity and thus reducing
the price per kWh produced.

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 Advantages of Thermal Energy Storage?
• Facilitates effective utilization of intermittent renewable sources (either
cycling resource like solar or sudden drop in resource like wind)
• Responding to sudden change in renewable energy sources
• Reduce losses from the gap between energy supply and demand
• Less wasted energy (specially renewable when demand decreases while the
resource is available)
• Optimal use the infrastructure

Disadvantages of Thermal Energy Storage?

• Energy lost in “round trip” inefficiencies (from collector to storage
then from storage to steam generator)
• Additional cost and complexity
• Additional infrastructure and space requirements 47
 Some Energy Storage Methods
• Compressed air,
• Mechanical springs
• Rotating flywheels,
• Pumped water (pumped-storage hydroelectricity) (most common
worldwide, efficiency above 80%)
• Heat (hot water, or heated rocks or gravel, molten salts or concrete
slabs)
• Ice (use off peak energy at night (usually at cheap rate) to create ice,
which is then stored and used to provide air conditioning in large
buildings during summer days)
• Charged electric batteries, (electric vehicles) or
• Electrolytic production of hydrogen (chemical) and then methane
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Sub-outcome 5: Illustrate controllers and
sensors in domestic hot water systems
(DHWS) using a block diagram.

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 Sub-outcome 5: Illustrate controllers and
sensors in domestic hot water systems
(DHWS) using a block diagram.

A. Temperature sensors
– Collector
• The temperature sensor is
placed at the outflow of the
collector array. This will
give the highest temperature
available
– Tank
• The temperature sensor is
placed near the exit of the
heat exchanger

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 Sensors and Active Elements
• B. Pressure sensors
– There is a pressure sensor or
gauge on the pressurized
thermal loop (after the pump).

• C. Flow sensors
– There is a flow sensor near the
pump within the pressurized
thermal loop

• D. Pump
– For the thermal loop, a pump is
placed between the exit of the
heat exchanger in the tank and
the inlet of the collector array. 51
 Sensors and Active Elements
• E. Valves
– Check valves – allow fluid flow
in one direction only and not
allow drain-back of colder liquid

– Relief valves – to manually bleed

off air from air-traps or to
automatically release pressure as a
safety

– P/T relief valve – Fully automatic

temperature and pressure relief valve
in the tank. Protection for domestic
installations of unvented water
heaters, to prevent the temperature of
water exceeding 100ºC. 52
 Sensors and Active Elements
F. Controller
– The primary function in the solar-
thermal controller is to activate
the main circulating pump based
on the temperature difference
between the water leaving the
collector and the cold water
leaving the heat exchanger.

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Example 1: Consider 10 solar collectors (N = 10), of dimension 2m x 1m (A = 2), and
an efficiency of 75 percent system, used to heat a water tank of 5000 liters. Calculate
the final temperature reached after 8.8 sun-hours in Dubai under the following
conditions: Ti = Initial temperature is 25oC. DNI = Solar irradiation is 1000 W/m2.
Cp = Specific heat of water is 4.19 (kJ/kg.oC)
Heat from
Solar radiation

Q Use    A  N  DNI

Heat to Water

Q  m  C P  (TF  Ti )
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Answer:
We will assume the density of water to be 1 kg/L.
The water outlet temperature can be found from:
; Q  m  C P  (TF  Ti )
where useful energy comes from solar radiation
Q Use    A  N  DNI
.
Thus,
;
o
C

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Sub-outcome 6: Design, simulate, and analyze
a small scale, solar thermal power system

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 Example 2: If the above plant is design to operate at 50MW with
parabolic troughs, calculate the number of troughs required. If the
radiation intensity at the plant site is 816 W/m2 and size of the
parabolic trough is 25m X 3.5m. In terms of efficiency, the plant has
achieved daily solar-to-electric efficiency close to 20%.
If the efficiency is 20% input power = 50MW ∙100/20
= 250 MW
This 250MW comes from solar radiation and it is coming through the Parabolic
troughs.
Energy that one parabolic trough can absorb = 816 W/m2 ∙ 25 ∙ 3.5
= 71,400 W
Number of troughs required to run the plant = 250, 000,000W / 71,400 W
N = 3500 Troughs
You may use this equation to solve this directly P   A N  DNI

  Power 𝜂=𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦
   𝐴=𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑁
  =𝑁𝑜 . 𝑜𝑓 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠   Radiation
You can simulate for different plant sizes and under various radiation conditions.
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