Development of a process control and simulation software for the first 750kw solar driven hydrogen production demonstration plant

Abstract

In solar tower power plants, the solar radiation is reflected by a heliostat field and concentrated in the aperture of one or more receiver to be transformed into another form of energy. This energy is thus used for an associated thermodynamic process, which is subject to thermodynamic restrictions [1]. These processes can be the generation of electrical power or, for example, succeeding chemical reactions. An example for such reactions is the thermo-chemical water splitting process. This splitting process is investigated at DLR since 2002 in the EU funded Hydrosol project. Starting with a laboratory reactor with 10 kW of power input, is leading to a large scale plant laid out for 750 kW of thermal power input [2]. This upscaled plant is under development and uses three equal reactors, which will be assembled together with their peripheral components on the Small Solar Power System - Central Receiver (SSPS-CRS) solar tower in Almería, Spain. To operate the whole plant properly, a control software needs to be designed. This software enables the operator to monitor and control the process. The main monitored parameters are the reactor temperatures, because they are crucial for the chemical reaction. Further, the flux density and the outlet gas have to be measured and analysed. All data has to be stored properly and refined for further treatment. The goal is to achieve the yield and conversion rate of the reaction as well as the thermal and chemical efficiency.