Supercritical ORC Turbogenerators Coupled with Linear Solar Collectors
Abstract
The modern development of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants worldwide started with the first oil crisis in the early 70’s, and peaked with the nine commercial SEGS plants built in the Mojave Desert in California, with an average yearly direct normal insolation (DNI) up to 2727 kWh/m2 year, between 1984 and 1990 (Fernández-García et al., 2010). It is mainly because of these installations that plants based on parabolic trough collectors (PTC) are the most mature and cost-effective CSP technology (Price et al., 2002). Several other solar power plants of this kind are currently being built. Another option for line-focus concentrators to which consistent R&D efforts are being devoted involves linear Fresnel collectors. This technology has the potential of significantly reducing the cost of the solar field, which constitutes the largest share of the total initial investment and the cost with the highest margin for reduction (Pitz-Paal et al, 2007). Linear Fresnel collectors are now in the pre-commercial stage (Mills, 2004).