Simulation of Parabolic Trough Concentrating Solar Power Generation System
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Date
2014-04
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Climate change has drastically increased causing global warming due to emission of
greenhouse gas with the provision of energy services that community of the world uses. In
order to work against this trend, varieties of researches are necessary to avoid the negative
impacts of global warming. Among the various forms, of utilizing energy mechanisms that
curtails the emission of greenhouse gases is solar energy electricity production.
In this work, theoretical performance of concentrated solar power system (CSPS) using
parabolic trough collectors (PTC) is investigated. The software TRNSYS and the Solar
Thermal Electric Components (STEC) library are used to model the power system design and
simulations. This model was constructed using data from an existing 30 MW Solar Electric
Generating System (SEGS VI) using PTC’s in Karmer Junction, California. Input data and
results of the simulation of the already existing SEGS VI plant were used for validating the
current model.
The validated model is used for building a 10 MW system using TRNSYS. The reference
state point properties which are used as inputs in the 10 MW TRNSYS model are determined
using MATLAB software. A MATLAB code is used to find the initial pressure after giving
first guess for the initial pressure and checking the error. This initial pressure is found to be
P (1) = 100 [bar]. This pressure is found for initial steam temperature of 371 OC. Then,
hourly simulations of electrical power and direct normal irradiance (DNI) are determined for
selected days of year 2001 (for which complete data are available), for Adigala, Ethiopia.
Different kinds of criteria for land use, annual irradiation and infrastructure are discussed in
order to properly locate the CSP plants. Depending on the data gathered and on the criteria
set for the CSP installation, north eastern Ethiopia is a suitable site since it has a flat land
topology and high solar insolation.
As the cost of power generation by CSP technologies is of great importance for the
promotion of the technology to be proven as competitive alternative to the conventional oil or
gas fired power plants. This thesis work tackles the economic aspect by investigating the cost
of electricity generation of the modeled parabolic trough power plant using simulation tool
SAM (System Advisor Model).
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Energy Technology