Combined Hybrid Power Plant

Submitted 8 years ago

It is proposed solar hybrid air and gas turbines system. The central receiver system applies air and partially gas turbine to convert heat to electricity.
Air is heated in four steps: atmospheric air is compressed by the compressor - first step, in the recuperative air heater - second step, in one part of the solar receiver, for example to 800oC, - third step, then air convert heat to electricity in the air turbine, leaving the air turbine air is heated by another part of the receiver, for example to 800oC, - fourth step. The last step of heating is provided by combustion chamber, for example to 1100OC, by fuel gas. Combustion gas, after the gas turbine, heat up air in the recuperative air heater. Gas, leaving the recuperative air heater, convert heat to electricity in the various Power Units and heating of the consumers.
The utilization of highly concentrated solar energy permits the combustion chamber to closes the temperature gap between the receiver outlet temperature and the turbine inlet temperature and therefore provides constant turbine inlet conditions despite fluctuating solar input.
The advantage of the configuration is high thermal efficiency of the combined cycle, which gives higher electricity production and reduced need for cooling.
In future systems it should be possible to operate the plant by solar energy 80% and more.